Autism Spectrum Quotient Research Articles

Autism screening tests: A narrative review.

As screening tests are tools to quantify communication-interactive abilities of speech and language; therefore, to evaluate, screen, diagnose and treat various aspects of one’s abilities, they are necessary. The purpose of this study is to review the existing autism screening tools, their subtests, administration, scoring, and application in clinical and research contexts in children and adults. This study was a review of autism screening tools; hence, an electronic search through databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Medline, SID, and Magiran was performed from 2000 to 2021. The tests were examined in terms of year of publication, duration, age range, assessment method, subtests, and psychometric properties and furthermore, they were reviewed in details. In this study, 19 autism screening tests were evaluated and The Autism Spectrum Quotient was found to have the shortest administration time while The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale had the longest, and the only test that varied in duration was the Autism Screening Instrument for educational planning. Autism screening is a complex issue. Reviewing these articles reveals that some tests have been used more in recent years due to their specialized subtests or easy and fast administration. Prompt testing is extremely crucial especially in emergency situations like the current COVID-19 pandemic the world is struggling with today. A review of speech tone tests shows that the CARS-2 is one of the most widely validated autism assessments. Significance for public health Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with communication deficits, repetitive patterns, behaviors, and activities. Autism screening is a complex procedure that requires a piece of standard information and validated tools to help professionals in this process. Early autism screening plays a crucial role in treating the disorder and enhancing the quality of life and increasing the health level. Studies show that symptoms of autism manifest in the first two years of life. Therefore, if there is a suitable screening tool with a simple procedure that specialists can administer in a short time, these children could get diagnosed at an early age and thus have the opportunity for positive interventions. Tests with short administration time are specially needed now since with the outbreak of the COVID-19. Therefore, we conducted to investigate autism screening tests to access to help therapists select the appropriate test.

Dimensions of Self-Reported Driving Difficulty in Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults and their Relationship with Autistic Traits

A survey asked autistic and non-autistic people about the driving difficulties they experience and their autistic traits. Principle components analysis was used to identify how reported difficulties clustered together in each group, and regression was used to determine which subscales of the Autism Spectrum Quotient predict these factors. For autistic drivers three factors of driving difficulty emerged: a Driving Executive factor, predicted by Attention Switching; a Driving Understanding factor, predicted by Communication; and a Driving Social Interaction factor, predicted by Attention Switching. For non-autistic drivers only one Driving General factor emerged, predicted by Communication. This suggests autistic people may experience at least three distinct domains of difficulty when driving which may relate to their particular profile of autistic features.

Relationship of autistic traits between parents and children with and without autism spectrum disorder

BackgroundAlthough parents with a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have usually been identified as having the “broader autism phenotype”, empirical research on the differences in autistic-like characteristics between parents with and without ASD children has yielded inconsistent results. MethodThis survey of the autistic traits of parents and children was conducted in 119 parents with ASD children and 108 parents with typically developing (TD) children. Parents’ autistic traits were quantified using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient and children’s autistic traits were quantified using the Autism Spectrum Quotient—Children’s Version. ResultsThe autistic traits of ASD children were significantly higher than those of the TD children; however, autistic traits were similar between parents in the two groups. Furthermore, the correlations of autistic traits between parents and children were only significant for the TD group and not for the ASD group. ConclusionsThe current findings indicate that the relationship of autistic traits between parents and children exists in the TD group, and that the Autism-Spectrum Quotient may be used for parents as a screening aid to identify children who should be further screened for autistic traits.

ASD symptoms in adults with ADHD: a comparative study using ADOS-2.

In this study, we examined autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms in adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in comparison with normal controls using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2). Sixty-three adults with ADHD (mean age, 35.3years; 38 men) and 31 controls (mean age, 38.7years; 17 men) completed Module 4 of the ADOS-2, Autism Spectrum Quotient, Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale, and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Third Edition. Adults with ADHD were not clinically diagnosed with ASD, and their ADHD diagnosis was based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition criteria. Between-group comparisons on the scoring patterns revealed significant ASD symptoms present in adults with ADHD, which was congruent with our previous study. Further, item level and correlation analyses showed the possibility that ASD symptoms in adult ADHD comprised of two distinct mechanisms, one qualitatively similar to ASD and the other arising from ADHD characteristics, highlighting the complex nature of ADHD-ASD symptom overlaps.

O QUOCIENTE DO ESPECTRO DO AUTISMO EM UMA AMOSTRA DE ADULTOS BRASILEIROS: ANÁLISES DE DADOS NORMATIVOS E DE DESEMPENHO

ABSTRACT.Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties in social interaction and inflexible behaviors/interests. To quantify ASD traits in adults with preserved intelligence, the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) was developed, which is a self-report instrument and one of the most used and recommended tools.Objectives:We aimed to present a descriptive analysis of the AQ in a sample of Brazilian adults with neurotypical development (n=385) and investigate how the scale performs in a clinical subsample (n=33).Methods:We recruited 1,024 participants. They answered the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20), AQ, and about their psychiatric record. Then, we selected 385 participants without any psychiatric diagnosis to describe the distribution of the ASD traits. To investigate the AQ performance, we evaluated 33 adults with ASD and 19 adults with neurotypical development from the total sample (n=1,024).Results:ASD traits were normally distributed in the population, with high internal consistency. Of a total of 91 men, volunteers with 32 points (clinical cutoff point) or more scored higher than 93% of the control sample. Of a total of 294 women, those who got a clinical score on the scale scored higher than 97%. In the clinical subsample (n=33), the positive predictive value (PPV) of the AQ was 0.84, and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 0.7.Conclusions:The study population has a different profile compared to the original study regarding the AQ scale. ASD traits were normally distributed in the neurotypical sample, and the scale seems to have a satisfactory performance to predict ASD. Future studies are required to adequate the use of the scale in the Brazilian population.

Autistic Traits and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Patients with Migraine With or Without Aura

Background: Migraine is one of the most common neurological disorders and often shows comorbidity with psychiatric disorders. Data regarding comorbidity between migraine and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are limited. In addition, although anxiety disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are commonly encountered with migraine, and the fact that the OCD and ASD relationship is well established, there are conflicting results concerning the possible relationships between migraine and OCD. The purpose of this study is to understand is there any relationship between ASD, OCD and migraine. Methods: The study included only females, 40 with migraine and 26 without migraine or any other type of headache syndrome or neurological disorders. The study included people aged between 20 and 61 years of age. Migraineurs were divided into two groups according to the presence/absence of aura. Demographic and clinical variables were recorded. Diagnosis of OCD was made by using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) and OCD severity and content was assessed by the Yale Brown Obsession and Compulsion Scale (YBOCS). Autistic traits were rated by use of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Results: The YBOCS and AQ total scores were higher in patients with migraine (vs. controls) and those with aura (vs. non-aura); however, in both of these comparisons, the ‘attention switching’ and ‘imagination’ subscales (of the AQ) were found to be similar among the compared groups. Subclinical OCD was significantly more frequent in migraineurs (vs. controls) and those with aura (vs. non-aura). OCD diagnosis was similar among migraineurs and controls, but the aura group had significantly higher frequency of OCD compared to the non-aura group. Conclusion: According to our results, migraine and the presence of aura in migraineurs appear to be associated with OCD and autistic traits (as measured by the YBOCS and the AQ).

Usefulness of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) in Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder and Social Communication Disorder

Usefulness of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) in Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder and Social Communication Disorder

Camouflaging in Autism Spectrum Conditions in the Context of Self-Esteem Level

People with autism spectrum condition (ASC) sometimes mask the features of autism, and this could be related to their level of self-esteem. The aim of the research was to show the relationship between the intensity of autistic features, camouflage and self-esteem. Polish versions of the following tools were used in the study: the Short Autism Spectrum Quotient Test (AQ-10), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire-CAT-Q. The study involved 100 adults (aged 18 to 52) who were divided into two groups based on their ASD diagnosis and empirical AQ-10 indicators: an ASD group (N1 = 41, declaration of ASD diagnosis and indicator AQ ≥ 6; 31 females, 4 males, 6 nonbinary persons, mean age = 28.71, sd = 8.86); and a non-ASD group (N2 = 48, no ASD diagnosis and indicator AQ < 6; 29 females, 17 males and nonbinary persons, mean age = 26.14, sd = 9.64). The results revealed the existence of a linear relationship between the severity of autistic traits and the use of camouflaging strategies. No linear relationship was found between self-esteem and the other variables; however, some significant differentiation was identified due to the distinguished level of self-esteem (low, medium, high).

Using network analysis to improve understanding and utility of the 10-item Autism-Spectrum Quotient

Abstract The 10-item Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ10) is a measure of autistic traits used in research and clinical practice. Recently, the AQ10 has garnered critical attention, with research questioning its psychometric properties and clinical cutoff value. To help inform the utility of the measure, we conducted the first network analysis of the AQ10, with a view to gain a better understanding of its individual items. Using a large dataset of 6,595 participants who had completed the AQ10, we found strongest inter-subscale connections between communication, imagination, and socially relevant items. The nodes with greatest centrality concerned theory of mind differences. Together, these findings align with cognitive explanations of autism and provide clues about which AQ10 items show greatest utility for informing autism-related clinical practice.

Cerebral [18F]-FDOPA Uptake in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Its Association with Autistic Traits.

Dopaminergic signaling is believed to be related to autistic traits. We conducted an exploratory 3,4-dihydroxy-6-[18F]-fluoro-L-phenylalanine positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([18F]-FDOPA PET/CT) study, to examine cerebral [18F]-FDOPA influx constant (kicer min−1), reflecting predominantly striatal dopamine synthesis capacity and a mixed monoaminergic innervation in extrastriatal neurons, in 44 adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 22 controls, aged 18 to 30 years. Autistic traits were assessed with the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Region-of-interest and voxel-based analyses showed no statistically significant differences in kicer between autistic adults and controls. In autistic adults, striatal kicer was significantly, negatively associated with AQ attention to detail subscale scores, although Bayesian analyses did not support this finding. In conclusion, among autistic adults, specific autistic traits can be associated with reduced striatal dopamine synthesis capacity. However, replication of this finding is necessary.

An exploratory analysis of parental autism traits, age at conception and polygenic background in Autism Spectrum Disorders

IntroductionAdvanced parental age (APA) has been associated with an increased risk for autism in the offspring. One explanatory model includes delayed fatherhood in parents with autistic traits. Material and methodsWe investigated (1) whether autistic traits in parents, evaluated with the Autism-spectrum Quotient (AQ), correlate with APA in 128 families, (2) in 83 trios with genetic data available, whether AQ correlated with polygenic vulnerability calculated by Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS). We stratified the analyses by as per DSM-IV autism subtypes and by parental sex. ResultsWe found a statistically significant relation between AQ and APA (r=0.207, p=8.39×10−4, n=256), significantly only in mothers (r=0.233, p=8.23×10−3, n=128) and in Asperger Syndrome (AS) (r=0.319, p=0.034, n=44). There was a significant association between PRS and AQ in the mothers of the participants with AS (β (95%CI)=3.28 (0.03–6.59); p=0.047). ConclusionsThese results show that, in this sample, older mothers present more autistic traits, and APA seems to relate to an AS profile. Furthermore, PRS is significantly associated with maternal AQ of AS subjects. Consequently, a higher polygenic maternal contribution (both by AQ and PRS) seems to contribute to an AS profile.

Comparison of Autistic Traits Between Iranian Students With Different Ethnic Backgrounds: A Cross-Cultural Study.

Autistic traits (ATs) include symptoms associated with autism spectrum conditions (ASCs), which are assumed to be continuously distributed across the general population. Studies have indicated the cultural differences in the expression of ATs. Notwithstanding, our literature review indicated that studies on cross-cultural differences in the expression of ATs included samples from different countries. This is the first study designed to compare the expression of ATs between different ethnicities from the same country. Using the Autism-spectrum Quotient (AQ-28), we examined the possible cultural differences in the expression of autistic traits from four groups of students with different ethnic backgrounds, including Turkish (n = 262), Persian (n = 290), Kurdish (n = 300), and Luri (n = 307) students. Behaviors associated with autistic traits were reported overall higher for males than females. Also, significant cultural differences in autistic traits were found that were different for males and females. Furthermore, while the medical sciences student group scored significantly higher than the humanities group in the Imagination dimension, the humanities group had significantly higher scores in Number/Pattern dimensions than the engineering and medical sciences groups. Altogether, our results provide further support for the idea that the expression of ATs is significantly influenced by culture. A significant limitation of the current study was that groups were not matched with respect to age, percentage of male participants, and fields of studies and that these variables may influence the AQ scores.

Is there an association between prenatal testosterone and autistic traits in adolescents?

Prenatal testosterone (pT) is a crucial component in physiological masculinization in humans. In line with the Prenatal Sex Steroid Theory of autism, some studies have found a positive correlation between pT and autistic traits in childhood. However, effects in adolescence have not been explored. Hormonal and environmental changes occurring during puberty may alter the strength or the nature of prenatal effects on autistic traits. The current study examines if pT relates to autistic traits in a non-clinical sample of adolescents and young adults (N = 97, 170 observations; age 13–21 years old). It also explores pT interactions with pubertal stage and timing. PT concentrations were measured from amniotic fluid extracted in the 2nd trimester of gestation via amniocentesis conducted for clinical purposes. Autistic traits were measured by self- and parent-reports on the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) which provides a total score and 5 sub-scores (social skills, communication, imagination, attention switching and attention to detail). Self-reported pubertal stage was regressed on age to provide a measure of relative timing. We found no statistical evidence for a direct association between pT and autistic traits in this adolescent sample (males, females or full sample). Exploratory analyses suggested that pT correlated positively with autistic traits in adolescents with earlier puberty-onset, but statistical robustness of this finding was limited. Further exploratory post-hoc tests suggested the pT-by-pubertal timing interaction was stronger in males relative to females, in self-reported compared to parent-reported AQ and specifically for social traits. These findings require replication in larger samples. Findings have implications for understanding the effects of pT on human behavior, specifically existence of effects in adolescence.

Psychometric Properties and Factor Structure of the Malay Autism Spectrum Quotient: Children's Version.

IntroductionThe Malay autism spectrum quotient, children’s version (AQ-Child) is a translated and reduced version of the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) screening instrument. The aim of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the translated Malay version of the questionnaire.MethodsThe instrument is a 41-item Likert scale form parental questionnaire designed to screen ASD among children aged 6 years old–12 years old. It was filled out by the parents of 700 children (children with ASD = 47; typically developing children = 653) who were contacted through five special education schools and seven mainstream primary schools.ResultsFindings showed that Malay AQ-Child has an internal consistency of 0.82 as a whole scale for 41-items. Receiver operator characteristic analysis showed that the cut score of 63 for the translated, reduced version of the AQ-Child with 41 items had 99% area (95% confidence interval [CI]) under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and sensitivity and specificity of 93% and 99%, respectively. As for factor structure, principal component analysis (PCA) showed good loading values for most of the items in the instrument.ConclusionThe translated version of the Malay AQ-Child for screening ASD can further facilitate the process of surveillance and early intervention for children who need it.

Autistic Traits and Empathy in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Co-occurring Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder/Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are two of the most represented neurodevelopmental conditions in childhood. The diagnostic shift introduced by the DSM-5, allowing a combined diagnosis of ADHD and ASD, poses different clinical challenges related to diagnostic overshadowing, accuracy of clinical judgment and potential delay in an ASD diagnosis in children presenting with ADHD. Here we tried to disentangle the clinical phenotype and specificity of the two co-occurring conditions in relation to autism traits and empathy, by comparing children with ASD with and without comorbid ADHD with children presenting ADHD only and children with typical development. The child versions of the Autism Quotient (C-AQ) and Empathy Quotient (C-EQ) were administered to a total sample of 198 male children between 6 and 14 years old with age appropriate language skills and normal intelligence. Univariate analysis demonstrated no significant differences in the C-AQ total and subscale scores as well as the C-EQ between children with ASD and children with ASD + ADHD, while children with ADHD alone presented an intermediate phenotype between ASD and TD. Furthermore, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was applied to discriminate among the different phenotypes. We found that the C-AQ and C-EQ were accurate at distinguishing with satisfactory reliability between: (a) ASD vs. non- ASD (N-ASD) groups comprising both ADHD and TD children (Area Under the Curve AUC 88% for C-AQ and 81% for C-EQ); (b) ASD and TD (AUC 92% for C-AQ and 95% for C-EQ); (c) ASD and ADHD (AUC 80% for C-AQ and 68% for C-EQ). Our data confirm the reliability of the C-AQ and C-EQ as behavioral markers to differentiate ASD (regardless of comorbid ADHD) from an ADHD condition and TD. Interestingly, in our sample an ADHD condition does not increase the severity of the clinical phenotype in terms of autism traits distribution and empathy, suggesting that the psychological measures detected by the two quantitative instruments are independent of ADHD traits. This evidence will contribute to the translational efforts in developing better tailored treatments and preventive strategies.

Impairment of interpersonal synchrony of head rotation movement and its association with autistic traits in childrenwith autism spectrum disorder

<p indent="0mm">A noteworthy characteristic of most social interactions is the coordination of behaviours. One of these is interpersonal motor synchrony, which relates to various aspects of successful social interactions, such as feelings of rapport, formation of a social unity and the quality of relationships. The importance of interpersonal motor synchrony in social interactions makes it a pathway to understanding mental disorders with social deficits, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Individuals with ASD have shown reduced interpersonal motor synchrony in structured interpersonal motor tasks or naturalistic conversations. Moreover, the degree of synchrony of individuals with ASD correlates to symptom severity, social cognition competence, attention problems and communication abilities. However, existing literature mainly focuses on movements of the entire body or limbs. In addition to these aspects, head movements convey communicative information in social interactions. To the best of our knowledge, only one study has examined the interpersonal synchrony of head movement for children with ASD, although the focus was the head displacement in space. Another aspect of head movement, which is rotation, has been overlooked. Therefore, the current study explores the characteristics of the interpersonal synchrony of head rotation movement for children with ASD and the associations between head rotation synchrony and autistic traits. Free play with teachers was selected as the scenario of social interactions. Autistic traits were quantified using the Chinese version of the Autism Spectrum Quotient: Children’s Version (AQ-Child). A manual coding method was used to distinguish the episodes of two-way social engagement and one-way adult social engagement, which may affect the interpretation of results. The extraction of head rotation measures was based on the head angles in the directions of yaw, pitch and roll, which were estimated with a deep learning-based algorithm automatically. After pre-processing the raw time series of head angles and segmentation according to social engagement states, angular displacement and velocity were computed in each segment. Windowed cross-correlation was used to compute the interpersonal synchrony. A surrogate analysis method was then used to generate the level of synchrony and thus confirmed the presence of significant synchrony. The coding of social interactions revealed deficits in social reciprocity of children with ASD. The analysis showed that both the children with and without ASD exhibited the interpersonal synchronies of head rotation, which were greater than chance. However, the degree of synchrony of the ASD group was reduced compared with the typically developing control group in the directions of yaw and roll. In addition, the synchrony of head angular displacement in the direction of yaw was negatively correlated with AQ sub-scores of attention switching. Results help to complete the depiction of characteristics of the interpersonal motor synchrony in individuals with ASD, and extend the impairments of the motor synchrony to head rotation movement. More importantly, in contrast to synchrony of entire body and limb movements that relate to a broader set of traits of ASD, synchrony of head rotation specifically relates to attention problems, at least in the areas included in AQ. The decreased synchrony of head rotation indicates that children with ASD may have difficulties in coordinating their attention to the object of their social partners’ attention during naturalistic social interactions, which may contribute to their deficits in social understanding and their odd and one-sided social behaviours.

Veritable Untruths: Autistic Traits and the Processing of Deception

How do we decide whether a statement is literally true? Here, we contrast participants’ eventual evaluations of a speaker’s meaning with the real-time processes of comprehension. We record participants’ eye movements as they respond to potentially misleading instructions to click on one of two objects which might be concealing treasure (the treasure is behind thee, uh, hat). Participants are less likely to click on the named object when the instructions are disfluent. However, when hearing disfluent utterances, a tendency to fixate the named object early increases with participants’ autism quotient scores. This suggests that, even where utterances are equivalently understood, the processes by which interpretations are achieved vary across individuals.

Individual Observer Differences in the Use of Form and Motion to Perceive the Actor's Sex in Biological Motion Displays.

Recent research has shown that the perception of biological motion may be influenced by aspects of the observer's personality. In this study, we sought to determine how participant characteristics (including demographics, response inhibition, autism spectrum quotient, empathy, social anxiety, and motion imagery) might influence the use of form and motion to identify the actor's sex in biological motion displays. We varied the degree of form and motion in biological motion displays and correlated 76 young adult participants' performances for identifying the actor's sex in these varied conditions with their individual differences on variables of interest. Differences in the separate use of form and motion cues were predictive of participant performance generally, with use of form most predictive of performance. Female participants relied primarily on form information, while male participants relied primarily on motion information. Participants less able to visualize movement tended to be better at using form information in the biological motion task. Overall, our findings suggest that similar group level performances across participants in identifying the sex of the actor in a biological motion task may result from quite different individual processing.

Exploring Cultural Differences in Autistic Traits: A Factor Analytic Study of Children with Autism in China and the Netherlands.

Autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed globally, but recognition, interpretation and reporting may vary across cultures. To compare autism across cultures it is important to investigate whether the tools used are conceptually equivalent across cultures. This study evaluated the factor structure of the parent-reported Autism Spectrum Quotient Short Form in autistic children from China (n = 327; 3 to 17years) and the Netherlands (n = 694; 6 to 16years). Confirmatory factor analysis did not support the two-factor hierarchical model previously identified. Exploratory factor analysis indicated culturally variant factor structures between China and the Netherlands, which may hamper cross-cultural comparisons. Several items loaded onto different factors in the two samples, indicating substantial variation in parent-reported autistic traits between China and the Netherlands.

Improving social cognition and skills in adult ASD: a tDCS pilot study

Abstract Introduction: Social cognition and social skills deficits are core to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Challenges include establishing shared and meaningful relationships with others, a socioemotional process often facilitated by the ability to accurately categorize facial expressions. Existing therapies are extremely time- and labor-intensive. We hypothesized that combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with computer-based social skill and cognition interventions would improve measures of empathy and facial expression in high-functioning adults with ASD. Participants & Stimulation: Seven right-handed, English-speaking adults with normal or higher cognitive function and a score of 32 or higher on the Autism Quotient (AQ) participated in two experimental (verum/sham) sessions in a randomized, within-subjects, double-blinded design. The anodal electrode was over right temporoparietal (rTPJ: CP6), a region known to play an important role in social cognition. Stimulation was at 2.0 mA (verum 30 minutes, sham 30 seconds) with a cathodal electrode on the ipsilateral deltoid. During stimulation, participants viewed photos of human and dog faces followed by training videos on facial emotion detection, emotion and empathy identification, and social skills and interactions. Results: Participants were tested before (baseline) and after each stimulation session on the Empathy Quotient (EQ), a global trait/state measure that includes cognitive empathy, empathetic concern and perspective taking. Changes in facial emotion recognition was assessed from responses to multiple-choice questionnaires of emotional facial expressions in static images. Participants scored significantly higher on the EQ, Z = -2.366, p < 0.02, r = 0.68, and had significantly less inaccurate identifications of threatening facial emotion expressions, Z= -1.90, p < 0.02, r = 0.55, after receiving verum compared to sham tDCS. Conclusion: Anodal tDCS applied over rTPJ and paired with computer-based training on social skills and cognition shows promise as a potential treatment method for improving social skills and social cognition in high-functioning adults with ASD. Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), tDCS, social skills, social cognition