Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire: Cultural Adaptation, Reliability, and Validity in Autistic and Non-Autistic from Spain

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.

About the autistic author marker

Zubizarreta, S. C. P., Lois Mosquera, M., Fungueiriño, M. T., Navarro, M. A., Hull, L., Carracedo, A., Gafo, B. G., & Prieto, M. F. (2025). Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire: Cultural Adaptation, Reliability, and Validity in Autistic and Non-Autistic from Spain. Autism in Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2024.0003

Publication date: 29 Apr 2025 Added to AutiHub: 7 Aug 2026 Type: Article Article language: English

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
8
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 8 (12.5%)

Abstract

Background: Researchers have proposed that camouflaging contributes to delayed or absent diagnosis and mental health problems in autistic individuals. Therefore, there is a need for validated measures of this construct. This study aimed to culturally adapt the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) for the Spanish population (Spain) and assess its psychometric properties, addressing the need for camouflage assessment tools in Spain. Methods: We conducted a cultural adaptation process, which involved direct-back translation and pretest with autistic individuals. We tested internal consistency, test–retest reliability, construct validity, including structural validity (confirmatory factor analysis), measure invariance, and hypothesis testing for construct validity with a larger sample of 490 participants, including 379 non-autistic individuals and 111 autistic individuals. We assessed a subsample of 32 non-autistic participants for test–retest reliability. Results: The cultural adaptation process yielded the CAT-Q–Spanish version (ES), culturally adapted for the Spanish population. Autistic volunteers identified minor comprehension issues in three items and the researchers revised them. The CAT-Q-ES showed excellent internal consistency among non-autistic (McDonald’s omega [ω] = 0.95) and autistic individuals (ω = 0.89). The subscales (Compensation, Masking, Assimilation) demonstrated internal consistencies ranging from adequate to excellent. Test–retest reliability showed a strong relationship (r = 0.99, p < 0.001). Associations between CAT-Q-ES scores and related constructs, including autistic traits, and symptoms of anxiety and depression confirmed its validity, with autistic individuals scoring higher on the test. Conclusion: The CAT-Q-ES is conceptually and semantically equivalent to the original instrument, offering a valid and reliable measure of camouflage for Spanish adults. These findings enhance the assessment and understanding of camouflage within the Spanish context, addressing a crucial gap in the field.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 2 Oct 2026 11:55.

Cited references
69
With a DOI
62
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
7
8 / 69 (11.6%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
4 / 69 (5.8%)
References with detected author names
65 / 69 (94.2%)
Without detected author names
4
Without a structured title
4
Without a stable identifier
7
References with raw author names still to review
4
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
349
From DOI or external metadata
349
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
4
155 / 349 (44.4%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 194 / 349 (55.6%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
12 / 349 (3.4%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 12 / 155 (7.7%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 11 / 294 (3.7%).
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