The Autism Checklist
Glynis Hannell B.Sc (Hons) M.Sc Registered Psychologist
Student's Name Date:
Name of person completing checklist:
Difficulties with non verbal communication
o Limited use of eye contact to express feelings El Limited understanding/responding to eye
contact
o Limited use of gesture or physical touching to express feelings or wishes
o Does not seem to understand gestures or physical touching from others
o Does not show much facial expression
o Does not find it easy to 'read'facial expression in others
o Does not readily exchange social smiles
o Does not often enjoy physical contact eg cuddles, hugs, tickles
o Poor judge of social distance, stands too close or too far away
o Difficulties with social and emotional empathy
o Does not seem to understand or'connect'with other people's feelings
o Does not often bring or point out objects of interest for others to see
o Does not often point out objects of interest to others
o Does not really relate to anyone, even close family members
o Only relates to one or two close family members
o Does not show much affection
o Does not readily learn appropriate behaviour from role models
o Often does not understand abstract social concepts eg'be kind'
o Misunderstands other people's behaviour or feelings
o Difficulties with friendships
o Seems to be unaware of the presence of others
o Does not attempt to make friends with others
o Tries but is unsuccessful in developing friendships with peers
o Does not join in play activities, games etc
o Very wary of strangers
o Uninhibited with strangers
o Does not understand sharing eg of toys
o Does not understand turn taking eg with games
o Difficulties understanding socially appropriate behaviour
o Says or does socially inappropriate things El Does not get embarrassed by social gaffes L1
Asks for explicit feedback eg'Am I giggling too much?'
Communication Difficulties
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
No spoken language
Significant delay in spoken language
Repetitive use of language, repeats what other person has just said
Repetitive use of language, repeats him/herself over and over again
Uses odd, meaningless words or phrases repeatedly OL
Hears but does not respond appropriately when spoken to
Significant difficulties with turn taking in conversation ~M
Repeats same conversational pattern over and over again
Has great difficulties in understanding or using mime
Has great difficulties deliberately imitating speech or action
Does not play imaginatively
Takes things very literally
Unusual physical mannerisms
Repetitive movements such as hand flapping or body rocking El Flickers own fingers close to
face and watches them intently D Poorly coordinated El Stiff or tip toe walk, unusual arm
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
movements when walking Very sensitive to some smells, textures, tastes D Unusually high
threshold to pain or high/low temperature 1:1 Self injury, biting, picking, head banging
Inflexible interests and adherence to routines
Intense preoccupation with a specific object or topic eg keys, fires, ambulances, trains
Distressed by small changes to routine T
Adheres to unnecessary, meaningless routines eg must have bread cut in four squares
Preoccupied with parts of objects
Fascinated by spinning or flickering items
Repetitive activities eg lining up toys in certain order over and over again
Exceptional 'islands'of memory or skill
Has extraordinary memory for some specific information eg train time tables 1:1 Has
exceptional technical skill eg in music, although creative expression is lacking
Using the Autism Checklist
Each item that applies to the child or adolescent should be checked off. Even items that only apply
occasionally or to a mild degree should be recorded. The more items which apply to a child or
adolescent the more likely it is that they are autistic. However it is important to remember that several
other conditions have similar characteristics and that specialist assessment is necessary for formal
diagnosis.
OPalmer Educational Publications 21 Palmer Lane North Adelaide South Australia 5006
The Asperger's Disorder Checklist
Glynis Hannell B.Sc (Hons) M.Sc Registered Psychologist
Student's Name Date:
Name of person completing checklist:
Poor social skills
o Has few if any friends El Seems to find it difficult to read social situations
o Makes inappropriate comments or does socially inappropriate things
o Seems unaware or disinterested in peer group pressure
o Often chooses solitary activities
o Does not initiate or join in games with other children
o Tries to make friends but is socially clumsy
o Does not seek to share interests with others
o Does not understand the moral in stories or films
o Inflexible
o Becomes very unsettled if something unexpected happens
o Needs a lot of preparation if routine has to be changed
o Does not really enjoy new experiences
o Unwilling to try new foods, clothes etc
o Does not enjoy surprises
o Insists on sticking to routines that are unnecessary eg bread must be cut a certain way
o Likes things in a certain order eg toys in order of size
o Limited emotional understanding and unusual emotions
o Seems to find it hard to understand how other people are feeling
o Asks for explicit information about others'feelings eg 'Are you angry at meT
o Seems'flat'and expressionless when strong emotion is called for
o Gets very emotional over small issues
o Gets very anxious when this is not warranted
o Egocentric
o Can only see things from his/her own point of view 11 Expects others to read his/her mind
Difficulties with non verbal communication
o
Has poor eye contact (too little or too much)
o
o
o
Poor judge of social distance eg stands too close to others ls'wooden'when cuddled
Does not always understand facial expression or gesture
Finds it difficult to mime or to mimic others
Restricted Interests
o
o
o
o
Has an intense and prolonged interest in a topic eg trains, electrical circuits.
Has a fascination for facts and figures eg timetables, street directories, dates
Has a preoccupation with parts of objects, how things work
Obsessed by a particular book or computer game
Unusual language
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Is very pedantic and'speaks like a professor'
Has an odd accent , people think he/she comes from overseas
Has unusual intonation eg speaks in a loud monotone
Often talks non stop regardless of whether listener is interested or not
Uses idiosyncratic, old fashioned or odd patterns of speech
Speech is repetitive
Takes things very literally
Does not understand jokes, puns or metaphors
Reads very accurately but comprehension of what is read is poor
Poor coordination or unusual sensory awareness
o
o
o
Is physically clumsy
Poor handwriting, immature drawing and untidy bookwork
Unusually sensitive to textures of clothes or food , very sensitive to smells
Unusual physical mannerisms
o
o
o
o
Flaps or twirls hands
Has an unusual gait such as stiff legged walk or exaggerated arm movements when
walking
Likes to run in a set pattern eg in circles or a particular route
Runs on the spot, or twirls especially when agitated
Using the Asperger's Disorder Checklist
Each item that applies to the child or adolescent should be checked off. Even items that only apply
occasionally or to a mild degree should be recorded. The more items which apply to a child or
adolescent the more likely it is that they have Asperger's Disorder. However it is important to
remember that several other conditions have similar characteristics and that specialist assessment is
necessary for formal diagnosis.
Reference Source:
Glynis Hannell B.Sc (Hons) M.Sc Registered Psychologist, 2002 Identifying Children With Special
Needs: Checklists for Professionals.Palmer Educational Publications 21 Palmer Lane North Adelaide
South Australia 5006