CAT-Q Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire
Assess your social camouflaging behaviors
Do you mask your autism traits? Discover your camouflaging patterns with CAT-Q. 25 questions across 3 dimensions. Research-backed by Hull et al. 7 minutes.
What is Camouflaging?
Camouflaging describes strategies used to manage or fit into social situations, such as rehearsing a conversation or monitoring expressions. CAT-Q studies these strategies in autistic and non-autistic adults. Some may help you and others may feel tiring; the questionnaire gives you a starting point for describing them.
Test Information
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Guides to understand your result
Research and Validation
These sources describe the original instrument. This website's online implementation is not independently clinically validated.
- Original CAT-Q Development Study
Hull, L., Mandy, W., Lai, M. C., Baron-Cohen, S., Allison, C., Smith, P., & Petrides, K. V. (2019). Development and validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(3), 819-833.
- Camouflaging and Mental Health Study
Hull, L., Petrides, K. V., Allison, C., Smith, P., Baron-Cohen, S., Lai, M. C., & Mandy, W. (2017). 'Putting on My Best Normal': Social camouflaging in adults with autism spectrum conditions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(8), 2519-2534.
- Gender Differences in Camouflaging
Lai, M. C., Lombardo, M. V., Ruigrok, A. N., Chakrabarti, B., Auyeung, B., Szatmari, P., ... & Baron-Cohen, S. (2017). Quantifying and exploring camouflaging in men and women with autism. Autism, 21(6), 690-702.
- CAT-Q Appendix 1 (Hull et al.)
Original questionnaire and scoring key. CC BY 4.0; web presentation adapted by this site.
- Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
License for the CAT-Q article and supplementary material.
Important Notice
CAT-Q is a self-report questionnaire about camouflaging strategies, not a diagnostic autism test. A score cannot confirm or rule out autism or establish anxiety, burnout, or support needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is camouflaging?
Camouflaging (also called masking) refers to strategies autistic people use to hide their traits or appear more 'neurotypical' in social situations. This can include copying others' body language, forcing eye contact, suppressing stimming, or rehearsing conversations.
Why do autistic people camouflage?
Camouflaging often develops as a response to social pressure, bullying, or the desire to fit in. Many autistic people learn to mask to avoid negative reactions or discrimination. However, it can be mentally and emotionally exhausting.
Is camouflaging harmful?
While camouflaging can help in some situations, prolonged masking is linked to increased anxiety, depression, burnout, and delayed diagnosis. It can prevent people from getting the support they need and make it harder to understand their own needs.
Can non-autistic people camouflage?
Yes, everyone adapts their behavior in different social contexts to some degree. However, autistic camouflaging is typically more extensive, conscious, and effortful — often involving suppressing core aspects of one's identity rather than just adjusting behavior.
Do all autistic people camouflage?
No, not all autistic people camouflage, and the degree varies widely. Factors like gender, age, support needs, and environment can influence camouflaging behaviors. Research suggests that autistic women may camouflage more frequently.
What should I do if I have a high camouflaging score?
A higher score indicates greater endorsement of camouflaging strategies on this questionnaire. It does not establish exhaustion or a diagnosis. Reflect on concrete situations and what support would be useful; if you are experiencing difficulties, you can discuss them with a qualified professional.
Can this test diagnose autism?
No. CAT-Q describes self-reported camouflaging strategies in autistic and non-autistic people. A high or low score cannot confirm or rule out autism. A professional assessment considers much more than this questionnaire.
How accurate is the CAT-Q?
Hull and colleagues studied the reliability and validity of the original instrument in 2019. Those findings are not diagnostic accuracy or independent validation of this online implementation. The questionnaire has no established diagnostic cut-off.
Is my data private?
Your answers and scores are processed and stored locally in your browser and are not sent to our servers, GA4, or Umami. We use GA4 and Umami for limited site-usage analytics, including page visits and anonymous test start or completion events; these events do not contain answers or scores. You can remove saved progress and results by clearing this site's browser data.
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