Validating the German Translation of the Revised Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory

Background: This project evaluates the psychometric properties of a German translation of the Revised Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory (CATI-R). Previous measures of autistic traits are often based on a male-referenced conceptualization of autism, which may underestimate autistic traits in other genders. In addition, these measures tend to rely on neurotypical language, which can make it difficult for autistic people to respond and may reinforce stigma. To address these shortcomings, the CATI was originally developed as an alternative to traditional measures, including subscales that capture traits particularly relevant to autistic women. Building on this, we collaborated in an earlier work with members of the autism community to revise the CATI (CATI-R), ensuring more inclusive, respectful, and accessible language and concepts across all genders. In the present study, we translated this revised measure into German and validated it in a large sample of female, male, and non-binary participants. This study explores if the German translation of the CATI-R measures autistic traits fairly across genders and identifies potential differences in trait expression. Methods: To validate the German CATI-R, we analyzed data from a large sample ( n = 1057), comprising German native speakers with a self-reported autism diagnosis ( n = 29), people who self-identified as autistic ( n = 84), and non-autistic participants ( n = 944). Results: We successfully validated a German translation of the CATI-R. A confirmatory factor analysis supported the six-subscale structure (two-factor bifactor model: chi-squared = 2402.85, p < 0.001, root mean square error of approximation = 0.045, standardized root mean square residual = 0.047, comparative fit index = 0.99, and Tucker–Lewis Index = 0.99). With Spearman’s rank correlations, we showed positive relationships between all subscales (all r s > 0.37, p s < 0.001). Moreover, we demonstrated convergent validity with significant correlations between the German versions of the CATI-R, Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), and Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ): the AQ ( rho = 0.69, p < 0.01) and BAPQ ( rho = 0.77, p < 0.01). Finally, a measurement invariance analysis indicated that total scale scores can be compared across genders, while also capturing meaningful gender-based differences in autistic trait expression. We additionally found measurement equivalence across the English and German CATI-R. Conclusions: This study replicates findings for the English CATI-R. To our knowledge, this is the first validation of a measure of autistic traits in German that has been developed together with people from the community.