A comparison of methods for measuring camouflaging in autism

Interest in social camouflaging has led to a multiplicity of measurement methods of uncertain validity. This two‐part investigation first used a systematic review (“Study 1”) to identify and appraise methods used to quantify camouflaging of autistic traits, using the Consensus‐based Standards for the Selection of Health Status Measurement Instruments checklist. A total of 16 distinct measurement tools were identified; all are in the preliminary phases of psychometric evaluation. The systematic review highlighted: (1) the need for parent‐report tools which specifically measure camouflaging; and (2) a lack of studies looking at associations between different methods of camouflaging, which limits understanding of their validity. “Study 2” aimed to begin to address these gaps in knowledge. We created a parent‐report version of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT‐Q) and evaluated its concurrent validity in autistic young people by examining associations with the self‐report CAT‐Q and a discrepancy measure. Discriminant validity was investigated by comparing all three methods of measuring camouflaging to a measure of social skills, to test whether they assess a construct distinct from social ability. The self‐ and parent‐report CAT‐Q were significantly related (r = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.24–0.65), and were related weakly (r = 0.20, 95% CI = −0.06 to 0.43) and strongly (r = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.23–0.64), respectively, to the discrepancy approach. No measure was associated with social skills. Improving the psychometric properties of these methods, and introducing a novel parent‐report measure, may help selection of appropriate methods in future research and integration into clinical practice.