Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version of the Subthreshold Autism Trait Questionnaire (SATQ-TR)

The subthreshold autism trait questionnaire (SATQ) is a brief self-report measure designed to assess subthreshold autistic traits in the general population. While several parent-report instruments have been validated in Turkish, no self-report tool has been adapted for adolescents. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and examine the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the SATQ for adolescents aged 12-18 years.

A cross-sectional, multicenter case-control design was employed with 412 adolescents (143 patients, 269 non-clinical controls). Following translation and back-translation, the Turkish SATQ underwent item analysis, reliability testing, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, criterion validity evaluation, and ROC analysis. Two items were removed due to cross-loadings, yielding a 30-item version (SATQ-TR).

The SATQ-TR showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.74) and excellent test-retest reliability (r = 0.92). Item discrimination analyses were significant for all items (p < 0.001). Exploratory factor analysis identified a seven-factor structure explaining 53.5% of the variance (KMO = 0.86, p < 0.001), and confirmatory factor analysis indicated acceptable model fit (RMSEA = 0.071; CFI = 0.93; TLI = 0.92; NFI = 0.90; GFI = 0.95). ROC analysis demonstrated satisfactory discriminative ability for ASD (AUC = 0.73, 95% CI 0.60-0.86). Significant correlations between SATQ and AQ scores supported criterion validity.

The 30-item Turkish version of the SATQ (SATQ-TR) is a valid and reliable tool for assessing subthreshold autistic traits in adolescents. By providing a brief, multidimensional self-report measure, it fills an important gap in Turkish adolescent populations and supports early identification and dimensional approaches in autism research and practice.