Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) - Clinical Utility and Psychometric Review - Gender-Specific Norms and Percentiles

Oct 3, 2026

A clinical and psychometric review of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) summarizes its development and interpretive value for measuring camouflaging strategies during social interactions. The 25-item self-report scale provides gender-specific normative data, percentile rankings, and qualitative descriptors to support clinical utility. The review outlines CAT-Q scoring and three subscales—Compensation, Masking, and Assimilation—while reporting reliability and internal consistency indices. It emphasizes context-sensitive interpretation and cautions that scores may reflect related phenomena beyond autism.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages32

Reading Time1 h 21 min

AccessFree to download

Overview

Purpose and measure description

Subscales and clinical applications

Psychometric Properties

Internal consistency

Test-retest reliability

Interpretation and context

A Review of the Clinical Utility and Psychometric Properties of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q): Gender-Specific Norms, Percentile Rankings, and Qualitative Descriptors The Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) was developed by Hull and colleagues (2019) . It is a 25-item self-report measure that assesses camouflaging strategies that people may use to adapt to or mask autistic-like traits during social interactions. This technical review provides gender-specific normative data, percentile rankings, and qualitative descriptors to enhance the interpretation and clinical utility of CAT-Q scores. [View the CAT-Q on NovoPsych.com.au](View the CAT-Q on NovoPsych.com.au) Dr Simon Baker Dr Carla Smyth Emerson Bartholomew Dr Ben Buchanan Dr David Hegarty December 2024 Developer The Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) was developed by Hull and colleagues (2019): 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. [https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3792-6](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3792-6) This document was developed by NovoPsych to review contemporary literature and to describe original scoring methodologies and to provide interpretation material, enhance normative data and provide qualitative descriptors. Author Information (not in authorship order) Ben Buchanan DPsych CEO, NovoPsych Adjunct Research Fellow, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia David Hegarty PhD Head of Psychometrics, NovoPsych Adjunct Professional Fellow, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, Australia Simon Baker PhD Research Fellow, NovoPsych Carla Smyth PhD Research Fellow and Clinical Liaison, NovoPsych Emerson Bartholomew MHealthPsych Research Fellow and Psychometrician, NovoPsych Correspondence For inquiries about this document, contact: Dr David Hegarty Email: [david@novopsych.com](david@novopsych.com) Citation Baker, S., Smyth, C., Bartholomew, E., Buchanan, B., & Hegarty, D. (2024) . A Review of the Clinical Utility and Psychometric Characteristics of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q): Gender-Specific Norms, Percentile Rankings, and Qualitative Descriptors. Retrieved from: [https://novopsych.com.au/assessments/formulation/camouflaging-autistic-traits-questionnaire-cat-q/](https://novopsych.com.au/assessments/formulation/camouflaging-autistic-traits-questionnaire-cat-q/) Open Source Licence The information in this document can be used without permission by researchers and clinicians and distributed under an open source licence. Description The Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) is a 25-item self-report measure designed to assess camouflaging strategies in individuals aged 16 years and older (Hull et al., 2019) . The CAT-Q assesses the extent to which camouflaging strategies are used and is particularly relevant for identifying Autism in females and gender diverse people, who may be underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed due to their ability to mask autistic traits. The Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) is a 25-item self-report measure designed to assess camouflaging strategies in individuals aged 16 years and older (Hull et al., 2019) . Camouflaging refers to strategies that people may use to adapt to or mask their autistic traits during social interactions, often to navigate a predominantly neurotypical social environment. The CAT-Q assesses the extent to which camouflaging strategies are used and is particularly relevant for identifying Autism in females and gender diverse people, who may be underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed due to their ability to mask autistic traits. The CAT-Q provides scores for overall camouflaging as well as three subscales: ● Compensation: Strategies for ove

FAQs

What is the CAT-Q used to assess?

The CAT-Q assesses camouflaging strategies used to adapt to or mask autistic-like traits during social interactions, especially in females and gender diverse people.

What structure does the CAT-Q use for scoring?

It provides scores for overall camouflaging plus three subscales: Compensation, Masking, and Assimilation.

What psychometric quality does the review report for the CAT-Q?

The review reports high internal consistency for the total scale (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.94) and the subscales, and good test-retest reliability across a three-month interval.

Oct 3, 2026

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