Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Social Responsiveness Scale

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Social Responsiveness Scale (Chinese SRS). We assessed 1419 grade 1 to grade 8 students from northern Taiwan and 401 clinic-based participants (aged 3–20, male 90.3%). All clinic-based participants were clinically diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), including autistic disorder and Asperger's disorder, according to the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria and confirmed by a parental interview using the Chinese version of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). All the parents completed the Chinese SRS. Parents of participants with ASD also completed the Chinese version of the Social Communication Questionnaire (Chinese SCQ). Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 4-factor structure which was validated by confirmatory factor analysis with an adequate fit (root mean square error of approximation 0.031, comparative fit index 0.983, adjusted goodness of fit index 0.910, standardized root mean square residual 0.050) after excluding five items with low correlation coefficients. The 4-week test–retest reliability (intraclass correlations 0.751–0.852), internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.944–0.947), and convergent validity with the Chinese SCQ (Pearson correlations 0.609–0.865) demonstrated well-accepted psychometric performance. Participants with ASD reported significantly higher total scores and subscale scores for the four factors (i.e. socio-communication, autism mannerisms, social awareness, and social emotion) compared to those without ASD. Our findings indicate that the Chinese SRS is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring autistic traits in the ethnic Chinese population in Taiwan.

► This is the first psychometric study of the SRS in an ethnic Chinese sample in Taiwan.
► Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a 60-item, 4-factor SRS in Chinese language.
► It has high internal consistency, test–retest reliability and concurrent validity.
► The Chinese SRS can distinguish youths with ASD from youths without ASD aged 6–16.
► It is a useful tool to assess autistic traits in both clinical and research settings.