Autism traits test for kids
Completed by a parent or caregiver · Descriptive, never a diagnosis
- Written for parents
- Ages 4–17, age-matched
- Autism vs ADHD patterns
- A map for GP visits
What we explore together
The things parents actually notice
No jargon, no internal states you'd have to guess at. The conversation asks about observable, everyday moments — and gives you a genuine 'I'm not sure' option wherever only your child could really know.
Play & other kids
How they play alongside versus with other children, parallel play that lasts, scripts from favourite shows, and the friendships that do form.
The sensory picture
Hands over ears, tags cut from every shirt, foods refused by texture — and whether it's the intensity that overwhelms or the novelty that distracts.
Routines & transitions
The bedtime that must happen in order, meltdowns when plans change without warning, and how much smoother days run when they know what's coming.
Their deep interests
The dinosaur years. The train timetables. Encyclopaedic knowledge of one beloved subject — and what happens when they're pulled away from it.
School versus home
The classic sign parents spot first: a composed, quiet child at school who falls apart the moment they're safely home. That gap means something.
Big feelings
Meltdowns that build slowly then break, shutdowns after big days, feelings that take a long time to settle — and what actually helps.
How it works
Built for the parent's-eye view
Answering for someone else is genuinely hard — especially when that someone is seven. The whole conversation is designed around that honestly, rather than pretending you can read your child's mind.
- 1
Their age shapes everything
A 5-year-old's routines and a 15-year-old's school day are different worlds. The guide asks your child's age range first and frames every question to fit.
- 2
Observable behaviour only
Every question asks what you see — at home, at school, at the park. Where something is internal, there's always an honest 'I'm not sure' option, and using it improves your results rather than hurting them.
- 3
Your words for the important parts
At key moments the guide asks you to describe a real scene — the last time somewhere got too much for them — because your description carries more truth than any option list.
Two patterns, often confused
Is it autism-pattern or ADHD-pattern? In kids, it's genuinely hard to tell
A child who can't sit through dinner, covers their ears at the shopping centre, and only wants to talk about one thing could fit either pattern — or both. The difference lives in the mechanism, and the conversation is built to observe it through your answers.
Autism-pattern signs in children lean on intensity and sameness
- Distress scales with sensory intensity: the hand dryer, the assembly hall, the scratchy jumper — even with plenty of warning.
- Change is the trigger: a substitute teacher, a different route home, pizza night moved to Thursday.
- Repetition soothes — the same episode forty times, toys in precise rows, rocking or spinning to settle.
- The school/home gap: holding it together all day, then releasing everything somewhere safe.
ADHD-pattern signs in children lean on stimulation and attention
- Restlessness peaks in low-stimulation settings: waiting rooms, long dinners, quiet reading time.
- Distraction, not distress: every passing dog and closing door pulls them off task — but noise itself doesn't wound.
- Novelty-seeking: burning through activities, endlessly starting new games, boredom as a genuine emergency.
- Instructions with three steps lose two of them — not defiance, a working-memory traffic jam.
Many children show both patterns, and one often hides the other. Whichever test you start, the conversation measures both — so if what you describe leans the other way, or clearly carries both, your results will say exactly that.
At the end
A clear picture you can act on
What you get is a parent-readable map — written warmly and honestly, with your child's strengths given as much weight as their struggles.
- Autism-pattern and ADHD-pattern trait strength, with an honest read on how confident the picture is
- Their sensory style — intensity-driven, attention-driven, or mixed — and what tends to help each
- Trait-by-trait breakdown: where each pattern gives your child something real, and where it costs them
- What makes their particular mix genuinely wonderful — because it is
- A closing note written from your actual answers, useful to bring to a GP, paediatrician, or school meeting
The conversation is open to everyone — full results unlock for $2.99, one time, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Start the conversation
Questions people ask
Before you start
Can this tell me if my child is autistic?
No — and be wary of anything online that claims it can. This is a descriptive traits conversation: it maps the patterns in what you've observed, honestly and carefully. If the map resonates, the right next step is a developmental paediatrician or child psychologist, and bringing your results along gives that conversation a concrete starting point.
What ages does it cover?
Ages 4 to 17, in three bands — 4–7, 8–12, and 13–17. Questions are reframed for each: play and preschool routines for little ones, school and friendships for older kids and teens.
Should my child take it themselves instead?
Teenagers who want to answer for themselves can take the main autism traits test and say it's about them. For younger children, the parent-completed version is the honest approach — it never pretends a 7-year-old can self-report their inner world.
What if I'm not sure about some answers?
Then say so — there's an 'I'm not sure' option on every question about internal experience. Using it makes your results more honest, not weaker, and the confidence read reflects it transparently.
My child seems fine at school. Does that rule anything out?
Not at all — holding it together at school and falling apart at home is one of the most common patterns parents report, and the conversation asks about that gap directly. It usually reflects effortful masking, which has a real cost even when teachers see nothing.
What do the results cost?
The conversation is open to take. The full results unlock with a single small payment — no subscription needed — with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Exact pricing shows on the results page in your local currency.
Is my child's information safe?
Yes. Answers are stored securely, never sold, and used only to build your results. You're describing your observations as a parent; no account is needed to take the conversation.
The autism traits and ADHD traits conversations describe trait patterns for self-knowledge and entertainment purposes. They are reflective screening-style experiences, not clinical instruments — results are not a diagnosis and cannot tell you, or your child, whether any condition is present. Many of these traits overlap across neurotypes and with everyday personality variation. If your results resonate, a licensed clinician (psychologist, psychiatrist, or developmental paediatrician) is the right next step for a formal assessment.