Measures social responsiveness and autism-related behaviours across the lifespan to support confident diagnostic decision-making and intervention/treatment planning

The Social Responsiveness Scale, Third Edition (SRS®-3) is a norm-referenced rating scale that measures social responsiveness, the ability to engage in reciprocal, socially appropriate interactions, and autism-related behaviors across the lifespan.

As part of a comprehensive evaluation, the SRS-3 enables practitioners to gather structured behavioral data for diagnostic decision making, school eligibility determinations, treatment/intervention planning, and progress monitoring.

Results from the SRS-3 can be used in a variety of settings to:

• support diagnostic decision-making for autism and related conditions;
• assess social communication challenges in individuals with non-autism conditions, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), social (pragmatic) communication disorder, or anxiety;
• plan and monitor interventions and other treatments designed to improve social responsiveness; and
• facilitate research on the prevalence, presentation, and inheritance of autism and related conditions.

What the SRS-3 Measures

The SRS-3 provides three types of norm-referenced T-scores: SRS-3 Total Score, two DSM-Compatible Scale scores, and six Treatment Subscale scores.

• The SRS-3 Total Score is a global index of social responsiveness based on the frequency of observed behaviors. This is the primary score used for measuring the extent of autism-related behaviors assessed by the SRS-3.
• The DSM-Compatible Scales assess autism-related behaviors aligned with the two criterion domains for the identification of autism. These scores are intended to provide additional context for the SRS-3 Total Score and inform decisions about diagnosis and eligibility.
  • Social Communication and Interaction (SCI)
  • Restricted Interests and Repetitive Behaviors (RRB)
• The Treatment Subscales measure specific types of behavior related to reciprocal social interaction and the characterizing traits of autism. Together, these scores describe patterns of behavior that may inform clinical interpretation, treatment plans, and other interventions.
  • Social Awareness
  • Social Cognition
  • Social Communication
  • Social Motivation
  • Cognitive Flexibility
  • Sensory–Motor Behavior

What’s New in the SRS-3

While the SRS-3 retains the essential characteristics of the previous editions, the new revision also includes the following improvements:

• Updated standardized T-scores derived from a nationally representative normative sample
• Three norm options for all forms: female, male, or all-sample, which includes all individuals regardless of sex or gender identity
• A new School-Age Self-Report Form for children and adolescents ages 11 through 18 years
• New items capturing the presence of reciprocal social skills in addition to social communication challenges
• Updated item wording for clarity and inclusivity, including gender-inclusive terms and more neutral, behavior-focused language in line with modern approaches for describing neurodivergent behavior
• Separation of the Restricted Interests and Repetitive Behaviors (RRB) Treatment Subscale into two Treatment Subscales: Cognitive Flexibility (Flx) and Sensory–Motor Behaviors (Smb)
• A new Inconsistent Responding Index (INC), designed to help identify random response patterns indicative of low-reliability ratings
• New clinical validity studies including individuals with autism, ADHD, anxiety disorders, intellectual and developmental disorders, and other clinical conditions
• Updated and expanded interpretation guidelines, including new information on interpreting the scale and subscale scores
• New online administration and scoring options, including advanced reporting options, via the WPS Hub™

How the SRS-3 Fits into an Evaluation

Paired with observations, interviews, and other standardized tools, the SRS-3 adds structured behavioral data from those who see the individual in everyday life, strengthening clinical decision-making when evaluating for autism.

Use the SRS-3 to:

• Support differential diagnosis between autism and other conditions
• Strengthen clinical reports with quantifiable multi-respondent data
• Compare ratings across respondents and identify meaningful discrepancies
• Inform intervention planning at the subscale level
• Track change over time across administrations
• Communicate findings clearly to families and educational teams

Assess Across the Lifespan

Forms include:

• Preschool (2:6–4:6): completed by a parent/primary caregiver or teacher/other professional
• School-Age (4:0–18:11): completed by a parent/primary caregiver or teacher/other professional
• School-Age Self-Report (11–18:11): completed by the child or adolescent being assessed
• Adult Self-Report (18 and older): completed by the adult being assessed
• Adult Relative/Other (18 and older): completed by a family member, spouse, partner, friend, or colleague

Digital Administration

WPS Hub™ gives you flexible administration, scoring, and reporting for the SRS-3:

• Administer remotely or in person
• Use the optional printable response sheet for raters without online access
• Send a secure link to respondents to access forms and provide ratings
• Validate ratings and score automatically, with results available immediately
• Generate Reports
  • Interpretive Report to clearly visualize results, plus Rater Feedback option for easy explanation to raters
  • Rater Comparison Report to identify discrepancies (up to five raters)
  • Cross-Time Score Comparison Reports to track change over time
• WPS Hub users will have automatic access to the SRS-3 Online Manual.

À La Carte Purchasing

The SRS-3 manual (online or print) plays a central role in effective use of the assessment, providing comprehensive guidance for accurate administration, scoring, and interpretation. Ongoing reference to the manual supports confident and appropriate use of SRS-3 results.

The SRS-3 uses a flexible à la carte purchasing model designed to reduce waste and simplify ordering.

• Online forms use a single flexible-use SKU. Purchase 25 or more uses, then select any form type, including Spanish, at the time of administration.
• Print forms are sold in packs of 25 by form type.
• WPS Hub™ users will have automatic access to the SRS-3 Online Manual.
• The print manual is available for separate purchase.

Sample Reports