Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) – Children, Teacher, and Parent Version

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Abstract

The Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) is a widely utilized, multi-rater psychological scale developed by Gresham and Elliot (1990). It is designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of a child’s social behaviors, including both positive social skills and maladaptive problem behaviors, as well as academic competence. The system employs three distinct forms—Child (SSRS-C), Teacher (SSRS-T), and Parent (SSRS-P)—to gather data from multiple informants across various ecological settings (school and home), enhancing the reliability and validity of the findings regarding the student’s overall functioning.

The scale measures social skills across core domains such as Cooperation, Assertion, and Self-control. Unique to the SSRS is its dual-rating format on many items, requiring informants to rate both the frequency of a behavior (How Often?) and the perceived importance of that behavior for development or relationships (How Important?). This approach helps identify crucial areas for intervention by highlighting behaviors that are both infrequent and highly valued by the rater.

Keywords

Social Skills Rating System, SSRS, Social skills, Problem Behaviors, Academic Competence, Child Assessment, Behavior rating scale, Cooperation, Assertion, Self-control, Multi-rater.

Authors

Frank M. Gresham, Stephen N. Elliot, F. Black (cited in related research).

Purpose

The primary purpose of the SSRS is to identify children and adolescents who may be at risk due to deficits in social skills or excesses in maladaptive behaviors. By providing a standardized assessment of social competence, the SSRS aids school psychologists, educators, and clinicians in making eligibility decisions, developing individualized education programs (IEPs), and designing targeted behavioral interventions.

The inclusion of teacher, parent, and self-report forms allows for the comparison of behavior across different environments, highlighting potential discrepancies in how a child is perceived at home versus at school. This ecological perspective is vital for creating effective intervention strategies that generalize across settings.

Construct

The SSRS measures three broad psychological constructs: Social Skills, Problem Behaviors, and Academic Competence.

  • Social Skills: This domain assesses positive social interactions, typically broken down into:
    • Cooperation: Behaviors related to following rules, sharing, helping others, and compliance.
    • Assertion: Behaviors related to initiating social interactions, responding appropriately to peer pressure, and expressing needs or feelings.
    • Self-control: Behaviors related to managing emotional responses, controlling temper in conflict, and responding appropriately to criticism.
  • Problem Behaviors: This domain focuses on maladaptive behaviors that interfere with social and academic functioning. These are often divided into externalizing behaviors (e.g., fighting, arguing, temper tantrums) and internalizing behaviors (e.g., anxiety, depression, loneliness).
  • Academic Competence: This construct, assessed exclusively by the teacher, evaluates the student’s academic performance and related learning behaviors (e.g., motivation, organization, reading/math skills) relative to their classroom peers.

Validity

The SSRS demonstrates strong evidence of psychometric soundness, particularly regarding its construct and content validity. Content validity was established by ensuring items were representative of critical social skills domains relevant to school and home environments. Construct validity is supported by factor analytic studies confirming the distinct factors of Cooperation, Assertion, and Self-control, as well as the differentiation between positive social skills and negative problem behaviors.

The scale has been shown to correlate meaningfully with other measures of behavioral adjustment and academic performance, providing evidence of adequate criterion-related validity. Furthermore, the ability of the SSRS to differentiate between clinical and non-clinical populations, such as mainstreamed mildly retarded and non-handicapped children (Gresham, Elliot, & Black, 1987), supports its practical utility in diagnostic and placement decisions.

Reliability

The reliability of the SSRS is typically reported as high, indicating consistency and stability of measurement. Studies evaluating internal consistency, often using coefficient alpha, generally yield robust results, particularly for the Teacher and Parent forms across the main subscales (Social Skills and Problem Behaviors). These high reliability estimates suggest that the items within each subscale measure the intended construct consistently.

Test-retest reliability is also strong, supporting the stability of scores over short intervals, which is important for monitoring student progress over a school year. For instance, cross-cultural studies, such as research on the reliability of the scale in a group of Iranian children (Shahim, 2001), have also confirmed acceptable reliability, suggesting the instrument’s robustness in diverse cultural contexts.

Factor Analysis

Factor analytic studies conducted during the development and subsequent validation of the SSRS generally confirm the underlying structure proposed by the authors. For the Social Skills subscale, factor analysis consistently identifies three distinct, yet correlated, factors: Cooperation, Assertion, and Self-control. This distinction is critical because it allows interventions to be specifically tailored to the area of deficit rather than relying on a generalized social skill score.

The Problem Behavior scale also typically yields factors corresponding to internalizing (anxiety, depression) and externalizing (aggression, hyperactivity) behaviors. The Teacher form’s Academic Competence scale stands as a separate, unitary factor, reflecting the student’s overall academic adjustment and performance relative to their peers.

Instrument

Test Type: Standardized assessment, Multi-rater Behavior Rating Scale.

Format: Paper-and-pencil, utilizing both self-report (SSRS-C) and informant-report (SSRS-T, SSRS-P) measures. Items require rating of frequency and importance.

Language Available: English (Original), with documented translations and adaptations in various languages globally.

Population Group: Children and Adolescents.

Age Group: Typically ranges from Preschool (age 3) through High School (age 18), depending on the specific form utilized.

Population Details: Applicable for use with the general population, as well as clinical and special education populations, including those identified with mild intellectual disability or behavioral challenges.

Test Methodology: Raters use a 3-point Likert scale (0=Never, 1=Sometimes, 2=Very Often) to score behavioral frequency. For the social skills sections, a separate 3-point scale is used to rate importance (0=Not Important, 1=Important, 2/3=Critical). The SSRS-T includes a separate 5-point normative comparison scale for Academic Competence.

Keywords

Behavioral assessment, Child psychology, School psychology, Cooperation, Assertion, Self-control, Multi-informant, Standardized assessment, Behavioral intervention.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source).

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source).

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not provided in source).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Social Skills Rating System manual was originally published in 1990 by American Guidance Service (AGS), now part of Pearson Education. This instrument is proprietary, and formal administration and scoring require the purchase of materials (manuals and forms) from the publisher, adhering to their current fee structure and professional qualification requirements.

The original PDF of the instrument, potentially for illustrative or research purposes, can be downloaded here: http://overlake.virtual-space.net/SLP/SSRS_locked.pdf

Reference’s

Gresham‚ F. M.‚ & Elliot‚ S. N. (1990). Social skills rating system manual. Circle Pines‚ MN: American Guidance Service.

Gresham‚ F. M.‚ Elliot‚ S. N.‚ & Black‚ F. (1987). Teacher-rated social skills of mainstreamed mildly retarded and non-handicapped children. School Psychology Review‚ 17‚ 78–88.

Shahim S. Reliability of the social skills rating system in a group of Iranian children. Psychol Rep 2001; 89(3): 566-70.

Items of the Social skills rating system (SSRS) – Children‚ Teacher and Parent version

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

SSRS-C items
 
This paper lists a lot of things that students your age may do. Please read each sentence and think about yourself. Decide how often you do the behavior described.
If you never do this behavior‚ circle the O.
If you sometimes do this behavior‚ circle the 1.
If you very often do this behavior‚ circle the 2.
Then‚ decide how important the behavior is to your relationships with others.
If it is not important to your relationships‚ circle the O.
If it is important to your relationships‚ circle the 1.
If it is critical to your relationships‚ circle the 2.
 
How Often? 0=Never‚ 1=Sometimes‚ 2=Very Often
How Important? 0= Not Important‚ 1=Important‚ 3=Critical
[quads id=5]
1.    I make friends easily
2.    I say nice things to others when they have done something well
3.    I ask adults for help when other children try to hit me or push me around
4.    I am confident on dates.
5.    I try to understand how my friends feel when they are angry‚ upset or sad
6.    I listen to adults when they are talking to me
7.    I ignore other children when they tease me or call me names
8.    I ask friends for help with my problems 
9.    I ask before using other people’s things
10.I disagree with adults without fighting or arguing
11.I avoid doing things with others that may get me in trouble with adults
12.I feel sorry for others when bad things happen to them
13.I do my homework on time
14.I keep my desk clean and neat 
15.I do nice things for my parents like helping with household chores without being asked
16.I am active in school activities such as sports or clubs.
17.I finish classroom work on time
[quads id=5]
18.I compromise with parents or teachers when we have disagreements.
19.I ignore classmates who are clowning around in class.
20.I ask someone I like for a date.
21.I listen to my friends when they talk about the problems they are ha‎ving.
22.I end fights with my parents calmly.
23.I give compliments to members of the opposite sex.
24.I tell other people when they have done something well.
25.I smile wave‚ or nod at others.
26.I start conversations with opposite-sex friends without feeling uneasy or nervous.
27.I accept punishment from adults without getting mad.
28.I let friends know I like them by telling or showing them
29.I stand up for my friends when they have been unfairly criticized.
30.I invite others to join in social activities.
31.I use my free time in a good way.
32.I control my temper when people are angry with me.
[quads id=5]
33.I get the attention of members of the opposite sex without feeling embarrassed.
34.I take criticism from my parents without getting angry.
35.I follow the teacher’s directions.
36.I use a nice tone of voice in classroom discussions
37.I ask friends to do favors for me.
38.I start talks with class members.
39.I talk things over with classmates when there is a problem or argument.
SSRS-T items 
How Often? 0=Never‚ 1=Sometimes‚ 2=Very Often
How Important? 0= Not Important‚ 1=Important‚ 3=Critical
[quads id=5]
1. Produces correct schoolwork.
2. Keeps his or her work area clean without being reminded.
3. Responds appropriately to physical aggression from peers.
4. Initiates conversations with peers.
5. Volunteers to help peers on classroom tasks.
6. Politely refuses unreasonable requests from others.
7. Appropriately questions rules that may be unfair.
8. Responds appropriately to teasing by peers.
9. Accepts peers’ ideas for group activities.
10. Appropriately expresses feelings when wronged.
11. Receives criticism well.
12. Attends to your instructions.
13. Uses time appropriately while waiting for your help.
14. Introduces himself or herself to new people without being told to.
[quads id=5]
15. Compromises in conflict situations by changing own ideas to reach agreement.
16. Acknowledges compliments or praise from peers.
17. Easily makes transition from one classroom activity to another.
18. Controls temper in conflict situations with peers.
19. Finishes class assignments within time limits.
20. Listens to classmates when they present their work or ideas.
21. Appears confident in social interactions with opposite-sex peers.
22. Invites others to join in activities.
23. Controls temper in conflict situations with adults.
24. Ignores peer distractions when doing class work.
25. Stands up for peers when they have been unfairly criticized.
26. Puts work materilas or school property away.
27. Appropriately tells you when he or she thinks you have treated him or her unfairly.
28. Gives compliments to members of the opposite sex.
[quads id=5]
29. Complies with your directions.
30. Responds appropriately to peer pressure.
Problem Behaviors
31. Likes to be alone.
32. Fights with others.
33. Is easily embarrassed.
34 . Argues with others.
35. Threatens or bullies others.
36. Talks back to adults when corrected.
37. Has temper tantrums.
38. Appears lonely.
39. Gets angry easily.
40. Shows anxiety about being with a group of children.
41. Acts sad or depressed.
42. Has low self-esteem
[quads id=5]
Academic Competence
The next nine items require your judgments of this student’s academic or learning behaviors as observed in your classroom.
Compare the student with other children who are in the same classroom.
Rate all items using a scale of 1 to 5. Circle the number that best represents your judgment. The number 1 indicates the lowest or least favorable performance‚ placing the student in the lowest 10% of the class. Number 5 indicates the highest or most favorable performance‚ placing the student in the highest 10% compared with other students in the classroom.
 
1=Lowest10%‚ 2=Next Lowest20%‚ 3=Middle40%‚ 4=Next Highest20%‚ 5=Highest ONLY10%
 
43. Compared with other children in my classroom‚ the overall academic performance of this child is:
44. In reading‚ how does this child compare with other students?
45. In mathematics‚ how does this child compare with other students?
46. In terms of grade-level expectations‚ this child’s skills in reading are:
47. In terms of grade-level expectations‚ this child’s skills in mathematics are:
48. This child’s overall motivation to succeed academically is:
49. This child’s parental encouragement to succeed academically is:
50. Compared with other children in my classroom this child’s Intellectual functioning is:
51. Compared with other children in my classroom this child’s overall classroom behavior is:
[quads id=5]
SSRS-P items
 
read each items 1-52 and think about your child’s present behavior. Decide how often your child does the behavior described.
If your child never does this behavior‚ circle the O.
If your child sometimes does this behavior‚ circle the 1.
If your child very often does this behavior‚ circle the 2.
For items 1-40‚ you should also rate how Important each of these behaviors is for your child’s development.
If it is not Important for your child’s development‚ circle the O.
If it is Important for your child’s development‚ circle the 1.
If it is critical for your child’s development‚ circle the 2.
 
How Often? 0=Never‚ 1=Sometimes‚ 2=Very Often
How Important? 0= Not Important‚ 1=Important‚ 3=Critical
[quads id=5]
1. Starts conversations rather than waiting for others to talk first.
2. Helps you with household tasks without being told.
3. Attempts household tasks before asking for your help.
4. Participates in organized activities such as sports or clubs.
5. Politely refuses unreasonable requests from others.
6. Introduces himself or herself to new people without being told.
7. Uses free time at home in an acceptable way.
8. Says nice things about himself or herself when appropriate.
9. Responds appropriately to teasing from friends or relatives of his or her own age.
10. Responds appropriately when hit or pushed by other children.
11. Volunteers to help family members with tasks.
12. Invites others to your home.
13. Avoids situations that are likely to result in trouble.
14. Makes friends easily.
[quads id=5]
15. Keeps room clean and neat without being reminded.
16. Completes household tasks within a reasonable time.
17. Shows concern for friends and relatives of his or her own age.
18. Controls temper in conflict situations with you.
19. Ends disagreements with you calmly.
20. Speaks in an appropriate tone of voice at home.
21. Acknowledges compliments or praise from friends.
22. Controls temper when arguing with other children.
23. Appropriately expresses feelings when wronged.
24. Follows rules when playing games with others.
25. Attends to your instructions.
26. Joins group activities without being told to.
27. Compromises in conflict situations by changing own ideas to reach agreement.
28. Puts away belongings or other household property.
29. Waits turn in games or other activities.
30. Uses time appropriately while waiting for your help with homework or some other task.
31. Receives criticism well.
[quads id=5]
32. Informs you before going out with friends.
33. Follows household rules.
34. Is self-confident in social situations such as parties or group outings.
35. Shows interest in a variety of things.
36. Reports accidents to appropriate persons.
37. Is liked by others.
38. Answers the phone appropriately.
39. Asks sales clerks for information or assistance.
40. Appears self-confident in social interactions with opposite-sex friends.
Problem Behaviors
[quads id=5]
How Often? 0=Never‚ 1=Sometimes‚ 2=Very Often
41 . Likes to be alone.
42. Fights with others.
43. Is easily embarrassed.
44. Argues with others.
45. Threatens or bullies others.
46. Talks back to adults when corrected.
47. Has temper tantrums.
48. Appears lonely.
49. Gets angry easily.
50. Shows anxiety about being with a group of children.
51. Acts sad or depressed.
52. Has low self-esteem.
 
 ‘‘Cooperation’’‚ ‘‘Assertion’’ and ‘‘Self-control”
[quads id=5]

Cite this article

Mohammed looti (2025). Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) – Children, Teacher, and Parent Version. Psychological Scales & Instruments Database. Retrieved from https://db.arabpsychology.com/scales/social-skills-rating-system-ssrs-children-teacher-and-parent-version-2/

Mohammed looti. "Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) – Children, Teacher, and Parent Version." Psychological Scales & Instruments Database, 12 Oct. 2025, https://db.arabpsychology.com/scales/social-skills-rating-system-ssrs-children-teacher-and-parent-version-2/.

Mohammed looti. "Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) – Children, Teacher, and Parent Version." Psychological Scales & Instruments Database, 2025. https://db.arabpsychology.com/scales/social-skills-rating-system-ssrs-children-teacher-and-parent-version-2/.

Mohammed looti (2025) 'Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) – Children, Teacher, and Parent Version', Psychological Scales & Instruments Database. Available at: https://db.arabpsychology.com/scales/social-skills-rating-system-ssrs-children-teacher-and-parent-version-2/.

[1] Mohammed looti, "Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) – Children, Teacher, and Parent Version," Psychological Scales & Instruments Database, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, October, 2025.

Mohammed looti. Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) – Children, Teacher, and Parent Version. Psychological Scales & Instruments Database. 2025;vol(issue):pages.

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