Autism Spectrum Trait & Function Rating Scale | Adult Autism Assessment
The Autism Spectrum Trait & Function Rating Scale is an expanded, interactive clinical screening and psychoeducational worksheet designed to identify patterns commonly associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder across social communication, reciprocal relationships, nonverbal communication, restricted or repetitive patterns, focused interests, sensory processing, need for predictability, transitions, emotional regulation, masking, compensation, and autistic burnout. The worksheet provides automatic scoring across multiple clinical domains, evaluates the impact of these traits on everyday functioning, incorporates developmental history and differential-diagnosis considerations, and generates an individualized clinical summary that can be printed or saved as a PDF. Because autism is diagnosed through a comprehensive evaluation of developmental history, current functioning, behavior, and clinical presentation rather than through a single questionnaire, this tool is intended to support—not replace—a complete autism assessment.
Evidence Base: This worksheet was developed as an original clinical and psychoeducational tool informed by contemporary diagnostic criteria and research addressing autism-related social communication differences, restricted and repetitive patterns, sensory processing, rigidity, masking and camouflaging, emotional regulation, functional impact, developmental presentation, and autistic burnout. It is not a reproduction or adaptation of any proprietary standardized autism instrument.
Autism Spectrum Trait & Function Rating Scale
Expanded clinician-use screening worksheet with domain scoring, functional-impact review, developmental context, and generated clinical summary
Mark Zauss, LMHC, LPC, CCMHC, NBCC, BC-TMC, ASDCS, NATC, CCTP, CCTP II, ADHD-CCSP, C-DBT, C-PD
Clinical-use notice: This webpage is an original screening and discussion aid. It is not the proprietary Autism Spectrum Rating Scales™ (ASRS®), does not reproduce a standardized commercial instrument, and should not be used as a stand-alone diagnosis. Autism diagnosis requires clinical judgment, developmental history, functional assessment, and appropriate differential diagnosis.
This expanded worksheet organizes observations across social communication, reciprocity, restricted or repetitive patterns, sensory processing, rigidity, self-regulation, masking, and daily functioning. Ratings should reflect the person's typical presentation, not a single unusually good or difficult day.
Rating period: Unless otherwise clinically indicated, rate the person's presentation over the past 4 weeks while also considering whether similar patterns have been present developmentally.
Scale: 0 = Never | 1 = Rarely | 2 = Sometimes | 3 = Often | 4 = Very Often
Scale: 0 = Never | 1 = Rarely | 2 = Sometimes | 3 = Often | 4 = Very Often
Client / Informant Information
Developmental & Differential-Diagnosis Context
These items are not included in the numerical trait score. They provide context for clinical interpretation.
Functional Impact
Rate how much the overall pattern affects each area. These ratings are summarized separately from the trait score.
Scoring & Domain Profile
Total trait score: 0 / 0
0 items completed.
Important: Because this is an expanded original clinical worksheet rather than a norm-referenced standardized test, the score bands below are descriptive screening ranges only. They do not represent validated diagnostic cutoffs or population percentiles. A high score supports further assessment; a low score does not rule out autism, particularly when masking, compensation, context, or limited observation affects ratings.
Generated Clinical Summary
This generates a structured narrative from the ratings and text entered on this page. It does not send information to an external AI service and does not independently diagnose.
Complete the worksheet and select “Generate Clinical Summary.”
Related Autism Assessment Resources
For a comprehensive autism evaluation, screening results should be integrated with developmental history, adaptive functioning, social functioning, direct clinical observation, and differential diagnosis when appropriate.
© Mark Zauss Therapy • Educational and clinical screening resource • Not a substitute for a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.; DSM-5-TR). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
Antshel, K. M., Zhang-James, Y., Wagner, K. E., Ledesma, A., & Faraone, S. V. (2016). An update on the comorbidity of ADHD and ASD: A focus on clinical management. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 16(3), 279–293. https://doi.org/10.1586/14737175.2016.1146591
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Clinical testing and diagnosis for autism spectrum disorder. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Screening for autism spectrum disorder. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Cook, J., Hull, L., Crane, L., & Mandy, W. (2021). Camouflaging in autism: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 89, 102080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102080
Hull, L., Mandy, W., Lai, M.-C., Baron-Cohen, S., Allison, C., Smith, P., & Petrides, K. V. (2019). Development and validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(3), 819–833. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3792-6
Hull, L., Lai, M.-C., Baron-Cohen, S., Allison, C., Smith, P., Petrides, K. V., & Mandy, W. (2020). Gender differences in self-reported camouflaging in autistic and non-autistic adults. Autism, 24(2), 352–363. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361319864804
Klein, J., Krahn, R., Howe, S., Lewis, J., McMorris, C., & Macoun, S. (2025). A systematic review of social camouflaging in autistic adults and youth: Implications and theory. Development and Psychopathology, 37(3), 1320–1334. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579424001159
Marco, E. J., Hinkley, L. B. N., Hill, S. S., & Nagarajan, S. S. (2011). Sensory processing in autism: A review of neurophysiologic findings. Pediatric Research, 69(5 Pt. 2), 48R–54R. https://doi.org/10.1203/PDR.0b013e3182130c54
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2021). Autism spectrum disorder in adults: Diagnosis and management (Clinical guideline CG142).
Raymaker, D. M., Teo, A. R., Steckler, N. A., Lentz, B., Scharer, M., Delos Santos, A., Kapp, S. K., Hunter, M., Joyce, A., & Nicolaidis, C. (2020). “Having all of your internal resources exhausted beyond measure and being left with no clean-up crew”: Defining autistic burnout. Autism in Adulthood, 2(2), 132–143. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2019.0079
Schneid, I., & Raz, A. E. (2020). The mask of autism: Social camouflaging and impression management as coping/normalization from the perspectives of autistic adults. Social Science & Medicine, 248, 112826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112826
Sibeoni, J., Massoutier, L., Valette, A., Manolios, E., Verneuil, L., Speranza, M., & Revah-Levy, A. (2023). Psychosocial factors associated with camouflaging in autistic people and its relationship with mental health and well-being: A mixed methods systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 105, 102335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102335
Tavassoli, T., Miller, L. J., Schoen, S. A., Nielsen, D. M., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2014). Sensory over-responsivity in adults with autism spectrum conditions. Autism, 18(4), 428–432.
Williams, Z. J., Failla, M. D., Gotham, K. O., Woynaroski, T. G., & Cascio, C. J. (2018). Psychometric evaluation of the Short Sensory Profile in youth with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48, 4231–4249.
Zener, D. (2019). Journey to diagnosis for women with autism. Advances in Autism, 5(1), 2–13.
Antshel, K. M., Zhang-James, Y., Wagner, K. E., Ledesma, A., & Faraone, S. V. (2016). An update on the comorbidity of ADHD and ASD: A focus on clinical management. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 16(3), 279–293. https://doi.org/10.1586/14737175.2016.1146591
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Clinical testing and diagnosis for autism spectrum disorder. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Screening for autism spectrum disorder. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Cook, J., Hull, L., Crane, L., & Mandy, W. (2021). Camouflaging in autism: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 89, 102080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102080
Hull, L., Mandy, W., Lai, M.-C., Baron-Cohen, S., Allison, C., Smith, P., & Petrides, K. V. (2019). Development and validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(3), 819–833. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3792-6
Hull, L., Lai, M.-C., Baron-Cohen, S., Allison, C., Smith, P., Petrides, K. V., & Mandy, W. (2020). Gender differences in self-reported camouflaging in autistic and non-autistic adults. Autism, 24(2), 352–363. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361319864804
Klein, J., Krahn, R., Howe, S., Lewis, J., McMorris, C., & Macoun, S. (2025). A systematic review of social camouflaging in autistic adults and youth: Implications and theory. Development and Psychopathology, 37(3), 1320–1334. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579424001159
Marco, E. J., Hinkley, L. B. N., Hill, S. S., & Nagarajan, S. S. (2011). Sensory processing in autism: A review of neurophysiologic findings. Pediatric Research, 69(5 Pt. 2), 48R–54R. https://doi.org/10.1203/PDR.0b013e3182130c54
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2021). Autism spectrum disorder in adults: Diagnosis and management (Clinical guideline CG142).
Raymaker, D. M., Teo, A. R., Steckler, N. A., Lentz, B., Scharer, M., Delos Santos, A., Kapp, S. K., Hunter, M., Joyce, A., & Nicolaidis, C. (2020). “Having all of your internal resources exhausted beyond measure and being left with no clean-up crew”: Defining autistic burnout. Autism in Adulthood, 2(2), 132–143. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2019.0079
Schneid, I., & Raz, A. E. (2020). The mask of autism: Social camouflaging and impression management as coping/normalization from the perspectives of autistic adults. Social Science & Medicine, 248, 112826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112826
Sibeoni, J., Massoutier, L., Valette, A., Manolios, E., Verneuil, L., Speranza, M., & Revah-Levy, A. (2023). Psychosocial factors associated with camouflaging in autistic people and its relationship with mental health and well-being: A mixed methods systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 105, 102335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102335
Tavassoli, T., Miller, L. J., Schoen, S. A., Nielsen, D. M., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2014). Sensory over-responsivity in adults with autism spectrum conditions. Autism, 18(4), 428–432.
Williams, Z. J., Failla, M. D., Gotham, K. O., Woynaroski, T. G., & Cascio, C. J. (2018). Psychometric evaluation of the Short Sensory Profile in youth with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48, 4231–4249.
Zener, D. (2019). Journey to diagnosis for women with autism. Advances in Autism, 5(1), 2–13.
This is an original clinical screening and educational tool and is not the proprietary Autism Spectrum Rating Scales™ (ASRS®). Scores are descriptive and should not be interpreted as standardized diagnostic cutoffs.