Overview
The Autism Social Skills Profile, Second Edition (ASSP-2; Bellini, 2016) is an individually-administered, norm-referenced instrument that is designed to measure social competence in youth on the spectrum. It is not intended to be a diagnostic instrument, but instead was developed as a mechanism for assessing progress in social skills focused intervention. The ASSP-2 is used with individuals between the ages of 6 and 17. It takes 15 to 20 minutes to administer and may be completed by adults who are familiar with the student’s functioning. The 49 items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale. The test yields three subscale scores: Social/Emotional Reciprocity (SER), Social Participation/Avoidance (SPA), and Detrimental Social Behaviors (DSB), as well as a total score. Raw scores are converted to standard scores (M = 100, SD = 15), and normative data are based on parent reports only. Separate scoring tables are available for youths with and without cognitive disability or significant language impairment. This assessment is a part of the book Building social relationships 2: A systematic approach to teaching social interaction skills to children and adolescents on the autism spectrum (Bellini, 2016).
Summary
Age: 6-17 years
Time to Administer: 15-20 minutes
Method of Administration: Individually-administered, norm-referenced 49 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale
Yields standard scores (M = 100, SD = 15) and percentile ranks; different norm tables available for youths with and without cognitive disability or significant language impairment
Subscales: Overall Composite Score: Total Score
Subscale Scores: Social/Emotional Reciprocity, Social Participation/ Avoidance, Detrimental Social Behaviors
Autism Related Research
None found. However, the psychometric properties of the original ASSP (Bellini, 2006) were evaluated and found to demonstrate excellent internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity; principal components analysis supported three underlying dimensions/subscales (Bellini & Hopf, 2007). However, results of this study also yielded differences in scores for those with severe language deficits, suggesting an alternate version needed for children with such needs. Moreover, the ASSP has been found to have the ability to detect changes in social skill use associated with intervention among children of different ages (e.g., Block et al., 2015; Boyd & Ward, 2013; Plavnick, Kaid, & MacFarland, 2015; Radley et al., 2014; Radley, Hanglein, & Arak, 2016).