Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale – Revised (RAADS-R / RAADS-42): German Population Dataset (2025)

This dataset contains anonymized responses to the Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R) and RAADS-42 collected from a German-speaking population. The data were gathered for research on autistic traits in adults across Germany. The dataset includes demographic variables (age, gender, region), item-level responses to all RAADS-R and RAADS-42 items, and total/subscale scores. The purpose of this dataset is to support cross-cultural research, validation studies, and normative comparisons for German populations.

1. Overview

This dataset contains anonymized participant responses to the Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale–Revised (RAADS-R) and RAADS-42, collected from adults within the German-speaking population. Data were gathered to study autistic traits in adults across Germany and to support research requiring culturally relevant RAADS data.

The dataset includes:

Demographic variables (age, gender, geographic region)
Item-level responses to all RAADS-R (80 items) and RAADS-42 (42 items)
Subscale scores
Total scores
No personally identifying information is included, and all responses adhere to GDPR-compliant anonymization procedures. The online German version of RAADS was used to provide data in charts for each facet.

2. Contents
raads_german_population_raw.csv
Contains anonymized participant data, including demographics, RAADS item responses, subscale and total scores.

raads_data_dictionary.pdf
Defines each variable, item wording, scoring conventions, and subscale descriptions.

README.md
Provides documentation and usage information for the dataset.

3. Dataset Structure
Demographic Variables:
participant_id — anonymized identifier (e.g., DE001)
age — participant age in years
gender — male/female/diverse/prefer_not_to_say
region — German federal state or general geographic region (e.g., Bayern, NRW)
RAADS-R Variables (if completed):
raads1 to raads80 — each scored 0–3
RAADS-42 Variables (if completed):
raads1 to raads42 — each scored 0–3
Score Variables:
social_relatedness_score
circumscribed_interests_score
sensory_motor_score
language_score
total_score
4. Scoring System
All items follow the standard RAADS scoring (0–3):

0 = Never true
1 = True only when younger than 16
2 = True only now (or mostly after age 16)
3 = Always true (childhood + adulthood)
Subscales are computed by summing their assigned items.

5. Data Collection Procedure
Adults aged 18–65 were recruited through online communities, academic groups, and public channels.
Participants completed RAADS-R or RAADS-42 via an online self-report form.
Responses were voluntary and anonymous.
No identifying information was collected.
6. Ethical Considerations
Informed consent was obtained.
Data anonymized under GDPR guidelines.
Intended for research use only.

7. Intended Use
Supports research in:

Cross-cultural validation
Norm development
Psychometric evaluation
Autism trait distribution
Machine learning models