The Stanford Social Dimensions Scale (SSDS): A method for quantifying key social processes including social motivation in patients with social deficits including those with autism spectrum disorder

Scientists at the Stanford Autism Center have invented a questionnaire called the Stanford Social Dimensions Scale (SSDS) for measuring key social processes including social motivation, social communication and social recognition in both the general population and a wide range of patient populations such as those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

A key symptom of autism spectrum disorders is impaired social communication. Scientists believe a lower level of "social motivation," or the desire to interact with others, is what causes ASD children to struggle with communication. To help ASD patients improve their social motivation and communication and track progress, therapists need a method that specifically quantifies social motivation levels in ASD patients.

The current methods for quantifying autism spectrum disorders include techniques like the Autism Diagnostic Observational Schedule (ADOS-2) and the Autism Quotient (AQ), but existing methods either do not measure social motivation directly or do not measure it thoroughly. In addition, some methods rely on ASD patient self-reporting, which is not feasible in many young children. The SSDS overcomes the limitations of previous methods through a parent/caregiver report questionnaire which comprehensively and sensitively assesses social motivation as well as other key social domains such as social recognition, in patients on the autism spectrum. This method was validated by testing over 600 children including typically developing children and children with a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders and displays excellent internal consistency and consistency with existing methods.