BULGARIAN ADAPTATION OF THE AUTISM SCREENING INSTRUMENT FOR ADULTS “AUTISM SPECTRUM QUOTIENT”: PRELIMINARY DATA
BULGARIAN ADAPTATION OF THE AUTISM SCREENING INSTRUMENT FOR ADULTS “AUTISM SPECTRUM QUOTIENT”: PRELIMINARY DATA

Summary/Abstract: There is no publicly available information about the number of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in Bulgaria. According to international epidemiological studies, the percentage of people who meet criteria for an official ASD diagnosis is between 1% and 2% of the population (Brugha et al., 2018; CDC, 2017). In Bulgaria, that will add up to 80 000 people. The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ; Baron-Cohen et al., 2001) is a screening questionnaire for autism spectrum disorders in adults. The aim of the present report is to present preliminary data on the Bulgarian AQ adaptation by comparing the total scores of participants with an ASD diagnosis to the total scores of neurotypical controls. The questionnaire was posted on social media, as well as sent to people receiving social services for individuals with ASD. In 2022 and 2023 the online questionnaire was filled out by 40 adults with ASD (mean age: 25,31 years; 27 male, 10 female) and 945 neurotypical adults (36,84 years; 250 male, 681 female). There was a statistically significant difference in total scores between participants with ASD and those without (ASD: M=30,63 points, SD=9,08; Controls: M=22,52, SD=9,25; t(983)=5,43, p<0,001). The statistically higher average total score of the adults with ASD provides preliminary evidence that the Bulgarian adaptation of the AQ can distinguish between adults with ASD and those without. Similar results are reported for the adaptations of the AQ to other languages and cultures.

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