Usefulness of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) in Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder and Social Communication Disorder

This study examined whether the Japanese version of the AQ could differentiate between autism spectrum disorder, social communication disorder, and neurotypical groups using ROC analysis across 127 ASD patients, 52 SCD patients, and 49 controls. Optimal AQ cutoff scores were identified for distinguishing ASD from neurotypical individuals (23 points, AUC=0.96) and SCD from neurotypical individuals (22 points, AUC=0.89), demonstrating the instrument's clinical utility for screening.