Start With Clarity
If you have been wondering whether your symptoms may be connected to autism, ADHD, depression, anxiety, mood changes, emotional dysregulation, or personality-related concerns, free screening tools can be a helpful first step.
These assessments are not a diagnosis, but they can help you recognize patterns, organize your thoughts, and begin a more informed conversation with your provider.
After completing any assessment, you may download, save, screenshot, or print your results and send them to Solace Beyond Psychiatry before your appointment. Your results can help us better understand your experiences and guide the next steps in your care with compassion and clinical insight.
AUTISM & HIGH-MASKING AUTISM SCREENERS
Many autistic adults — especially women, professionals, caregivers, and high-masking individuals — go years without recognition or support.
You may have always felt “different,” socially exhausted, overly sensitive, misunderstood, or emotionally overwhelmed without fully understanding why. Many adults learn to mask their struggles so well that others never notice the level of internal effort it takes just to navigate daily life.
Free autism-related screeners include:
RAADS-R: Adult Autism Screening Tool
The RAADS-R is designed to identify autistic traits in adults, including individuals whose autism may have been overlooked due to masking or late diagnosis.
CAT-Q: Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire
The CAT-Q explores social masking and camouflaging behaviors commonly seen in high-masking autistic adults, particularly women.
RBQ-2A: Adult Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire
This assessment measures repetitive behaviors, routines, and sensory-related patterns commonly associated with autism in adults.
GQ-ASC: Girls Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Condition
https://embrace-autism.com/gq-asc
The GQ-ASC was specifically developed to help identify autistic traits in women and girls whose presentations may differ from traditional stereotypes of autism. This can be especially helpful for high-masking females who have been misunderstood or misdiagnosed.
AQ-10 / AQ-50 Autism Spectrum Quotient
https://autismtestonline.org/tests
Brief autism screening questionnaires that may help determine whether a comprehensive autism evaluation could be beneficial.
Understanding High-Masking Autism
Masking can look like:
- Rehearsing conversations beforehand
- Copying social behaviors from others
- Forcing eye contact despite discomfort
- Hiding sensory overwhelm
- Constantly monitoring how you are perceived
- Feeling emotionally exhausted after social interaction
- Appearing “fine” externally while struggling internally
Because masking can make autism less visible, many adults are misdiagnosed with anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma-related disorders, or personality disorders before autism is ever considered.
Seeking answers is not “overthinking.” Understanding yourself more fully can be an important step toward healing, self-acceptance, and receiving the right support.
ADHD SCREENERS
ADHD is more than being distracted. It can affect focus, organization, motivation, emotional regulation, time management, memory, and self-esteem.
Many adults with ADHD spend years feeling overwhelmed, inconsistent, burnt out, or frustrated with themselves before receiving an accurate diagnosis.
Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS v1.1)
https://www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/ncs/asrs.php
The ASRS is one of the most widely used adult ADHD screening tools and can help identify symptoms commonly associated with ADHD.
Printable ASRS Symptom Checklist
https://www.apaservices.org/practice/reimbursement/health-registry/self-reporting-sympton-scale.pdf
A printable ADHD screening checklist you may complete and bring to your appointment.
DEPRESSION SCREENERS
Depression can show up as sadness, emotional numbness, irritability, fatigue, low motivation, hopelessness, difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep or appetite, or feeling disconnected from yourself and others.
PHQ-9 Depression Screener
The PHQ-9 is a widely used screening tool for depressive symptoms and emotional functioning.
ANXIETY SCREENERS
Anxiety can feel like racing thoughts, chronic worry, panic, restlessness, irritability, muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, or feeling unable to fully relax.
GAD-7 Anxiety Screener
The GAD-7 is a commonly used screening tool that measures symptoms related to generalized anxiety.
Combined PHQ-9 & GAD-7 Screening Tools
A free online option that includes both depression and anxiety assessments and allows users to save their results.
BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER SCREENERS
Borderline personality symptoms may include emotional intensity, fear of abandonment, unstable relationships, impulsivity, chronic emptiness, identity confusion, or rapidly shifting emotions.
McLean Screening Instrument for BPD (MSI-BPD)
https://psytests.org/diag/msibpden.html
The MSI-BPD is a brief screening tool designed to explore symptoms associated with borderline personality disorder.
Printable MSI-BPD Screener
A printable version that can be completed and shared during your evaluation.
BIPOLAR DISORDER SCREENERS
Bipolar disorder can involve periods of depression as well as periods of elevated mood, increased energy, impulsivity, racing thoughts, decreased need for sleep, or feeling unusually activated or emotionally intense.
Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ)
https://www.ohsu.edu/sites/default/files/2019-06/cms-quality-bipolar_disorder_mdq_screener.pdf
The MDQ is a commonly used bipolar screening questionnaire intended to identify possible bipolar spectrum symptoms.
Printable MDQ Version
https://www.columbiadoctors.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2020-08/mdq_mod.pdf
A printable version of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire that can be reviewed with your provider.
IMPORTANT NOTE
These tools are intended for screening and self-reflection only. They do not replace a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation, formal diagnosis, or individualized treatment plan.
You are encouraged to download, save, screenshot, or print your completed results and send them to Solace Beyond Psychiatry prior to your appointment. Together, we can review your concerns, better understand your experiences, and determine the next best steps for your mental health journey.
You do not have to navigate this process alone.