Autistic camouflaging test (CAT-Q)

The CAT-Q (Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire) is a 25-item questionnaire about how much you mask, compensate for, or assimilate to fit in socially — copying body language, rehearsing conversations, forcing eye contact, hiding the ways you naturally are. It measures three areas: compensation, masking and assimilation.

This is a self-check you can complete online in about six minutes. You get your score straight away, referenced to the autistic-sample average rather than a neurotypical norm, with a plain-language interpretation. It is a first orientation, not a diagnosis — a formal autism assessment is always made by a qualified professional.

Written from a neurodivergence-affirming stance: a high score is not a problem to fix but information about the effort you put in, and the energetic and emotional cost of it. Camouflaging is very common in late-recognised autistic and AuDHD adults, especially those assigned female at birth, and pairs well with an energy and pacing check.

• 25 items, about 6 minutes, instant score across 3 subscales
• Based on the CAT-Q (Hull, Mandy, Lai et al., 2019)
• Anonymous — nothing to sign up for
• Screening for orientation only, not a clinical diagnosis