Published: 06:40 EST, 22 April 2014 | Updated: 07:19 EST, 22 April 2014
5,854shares
888
Viewcomments
Do you struggle in social situations, hate making small talk and changes in routine?
These are all key questions in a quiz designed to identify symptoms autism and its milder form, Asperger syndrome.
Psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen and his colleagues at Cambridge's Autism Research Centre created the Autism-Spectrum Quotient as a measure of the extent of autistic traits in adults.
This quiz below contains 50 simple multiple choice questions about your outlook on life - judged by how much you agree with certain statements.
Examples include: 'I prefer to do things with others rather than on my own', 'I am fascinated by numbers' and whether or not you enjoy doing things spontaneously.
Others are: 'I usually notice car number plates or similar strings of information', 'I enjoy doing things spontaneously' and 'if I try to imagine something, I find it very easy to create a picture in my mind'.
The quiz was designed for the Channel 4 show Embarrassing Bodies to help those possibly living with Autistic Spectrum Disorders.
Figures last month released in the U.S. showed that Autism Spectrum Disorder is on the rise, with 1 in 68 children now diagnosed. In the UK, it is estimated ASD affects one per cent of the population.
To date, the quiz has been taken by 150,000 people and according to the website, a score of 26 or lower 'effectively discounts the possibility of a diagnosis of autism'.
The average score for the original control group of the test was 16.4.
To date, the quiz (right) has been taken by 150,000 people and according to the website, a score of 26 or lower 'effectively discounts the possibility of a diagnosis of autism'. The highest scoring profession for autism was engineering, while those in the South of the UK were also more likely to score higher
Nationwide, the highest scoring occupation is engineering and the lowest is teaching, while people in the South had on average, higher scores than those in the North .
According to NHS Choices, Autism Spectrum Disorder can cause a wide range of symptoms, which are often grouped into two main categories. Firstly, problems with social interaction and communication.
This includes difficulty understanding and being aware of other people's emotions and feelings and/or problems taking part in, or starting, conversations.
Patterns of thought are another key area, namely restricted and repetitive patterns of thought or physical movement, such as hand tapping or twisting, and becoming upset if these set routines are disrupted.
Note: The quiz creators stress the test is not diagnostic - so even a high score does not categorically mean you have autism or Asperger's. If you have any concerns, see your GP.