A Comparison of the Stress Survey Schedule in Children with Autism and Typically Developing Children: A Brief Report.

Past research suggests that stress and anxiety are more prevalent in persons with autism as compared to typically developing persons. The Stress Survey Schedule (SSS) was developed in 2001 as a means to measure stressors common to persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The present study compared SSS responses of a sample of students diagnosed with ASD and intellectual disability with a group of typically developing students to explore the divergent validity and internal consistency of this measure, and to assess changes in scores among pre-adolescent and adolescent populations. Results indicated significant mean differences in SSS scores between persons with ASD and persons who are typically developing, and mean score differences among identified ASD age groups.