Name: 3 WEIRD Ways Autism is Tested
Uploaded: 2025-11-25T18:05:37.000Z
Duration: 5 min 43 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Have you ever wondered how a clinician evaluates and diagnoses autism?

It's not as simple as a boring questionnaire in a cold office setting.

In fact, some questions asked in the assessment can be pretty bizarre and confusing, but

So without further ado, let's go over the unique and sometimes very weird ways autism is evaluated during an assessment.

Let's begin Toothbrushing did you know that toothbrushing can be a test for autism?

Toothbrushing is one of the multiple parts of an assessment for daily living skills and sensory sensitivities that clinicians often use when evaluating for autism spectrum disorder.

Tooth brushing is a common area where challenges related to autistic traits become apparent.

For example, many individuals with autism experience sensory sensitivities that make tooth brushing uncomfortable or even distressing.

The texture of the toothbrush, the taste or foaming of toothpaste, the sound of brushing, or even the feeling of bristles around the gums can trigger sensory overload.

Additionally, difficulties may arise from fine motor coordination challenges related to gripping the toothbrush or following a sequence of brushing steps.

Some individuals might also struggle with communication or executive functioning, which affects their ability to remember, plan, or independently complete the routine.

Clinicians use this information as part of adaptive behavior assessments such as the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales or the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, which measure practical, everyday skills.

These assessments ask caregivers about how independently a person manages hygiene tasks like tooth brushing, bathing, and dressing.

Additionally, occupational therapists may observe the tooth brushing process directly to understand how sensory, motor, and

cognitive factors interact during the activity.

So while toothbrushing itself isn't a formal or stand alone test for autism, it's an important piece of the larger picture.

It offers valuable insight into how sensory experiences, motor skills, and

daily living abilities come together, helping clinicians paint a more complete picture of an individual's unique strengths and challenges.

Would you rather go to a library or a party?

Clinicians evaluating for autism aren't always checking whether you say library or party.

They're also secretly testing whether you need lots of clarification.

Like if you immediately respond, it depends.

I need more information to answer, Is it a Harry Potter themed party?

Where's the venue, and is it close to where I live?

What kind of books are there at the library?

Clinicians take note of this because it reflects the cognitive and social communication patterns often associated with autism.

For instance, many autistic individuals prefer predictability and clear rules.

So a vague social question like this can feel ambiguous or incomplete without specifics.

On the other hand, neurotypical individuals might be more likely to give a quick, socially oriented answer like party if they're outgoing or library if they're studious, without needing to dissect the scenario.

These kinds of responses can also give clinicians insight into social motivation, anxiety, social sensory preferences, and

Someone who prefers the library might not necessarily be asocial they could simply find quieter environments more comfortable due to sensory sensitivities.

Meanwhile, someone who hesitates or asks for more details might be demonstrating analytical reasoning, not avoidance.

The goal isn't to judge the right or wrong answer, but

to understand how the person thinks, communicates, and

So when an evaluator asks whether you'd rather go to a library or a party, they're not testing your taste in books or your social preferences.

They're exploring your thought process, your tolerance for ambiguity, and your social cognitive style.

It's a small, deceptively simple question that opens a window into how your brain interprets the world.

A strong preference for concrete information and communication is another key aspect to consider when evaluating autism.

Social Scenario Questions Weirdly enough, some autism assessment questions may make you feel that you're on a television game show rather than a clinician's office.

You might be asked, if you found a penguin in your freezer, what would you do?

Or if your friend looks sad but didn't say anything, how would you react?

As bizarre and abstract as these questions may seem, I mean, don't most people have penguins hanging out or chilling in their freezer?

They do serve a purpose, which is to evaluate whether the person can apply social reasoning in a novel setting.

Clinicians pay attention to whether responses are literal or abstract, socially appropriate, context aware, or focused on a single detail, as well as how the person navigates ambiguity without relying on learned scripts.

By using these unusual scenarios, evaluators can assess core aspects of autism such as social communication, empathy, and

cognitive flexibility, while complementing observations of daily living skills, sensory sensitivities, restricted interests, and

repetitive behaviors to create a comprehensive understanding of an individual's strengths and challenges.

We'd love to hear your feedback and personal opinions in the comment section.

If you're interested in learning more, check out our other videos on autism.

Like 10 Signs yous Might Be on the Autism Spectrum by Brian Cham.

As always, thank you for watching and have a wonderful day.