SRS-2 Scoring Chart & Interpretation Guide (T-Scores 59-76+)

Introduction

The Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2) is a standardized rating scale developed by John N. Constantino and Christian P. Gruber to quantify autism-related social communication and restricted behavior traits. This comprehensive guide summarizes scoring and interpretation concepts based on the SRS-2 manual (Constantino & Gruber, 2012) and peer-reviewed literature. The SRS-2 is a 65-item rating scale used to measure the severity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms as they occur in natural social settings. This guide provides detailed T-score interpretation, clinical examples, and practical guidance for understanding SRS-2 results.

SRS-2 Forms

The SRS-2 has four age-specific forms designed to assess social responsiveness across the lifespan:

1. Preschool Form (ages 2.5 to 4.5 years)
2. School-Age Form (ages 4 to 18 years)
3. Adult Form (ages 19 and up)
4. Adult Self-Report Form (ages 19 and up)

SRS-2 Scoring Overview

The SRS-2 yields several types of scores to provide a comprehensive assessment of autism-related symptoms:

1. Total Score – Overall measure of ASD symptom severity
2. DSM-5 Compatible Scales:
   • Social Communication and Interaction (SCI)
   • Restricted Interests and Repetitive Behavior (RRB)
3. Treatment Subscales:
   • Social Awareness
   • Social Cognition
   • Social Communication
   • Social Motivation
   • Restricted Interests and Repetitive Behavior

How to Score the SRS-2

Rating Scale

Each of the 65 items is rated on a 4-point Likert scale:

• 0 – Not true
• 1 – Sometimes true
• 2 – Often true
• 3 – Almost always true

Calculating Raw Scores

The raw score is calculated by summing all 65 item responses, with a possible range of 0-195 points. Higher raw scores indicate greater social impairment.

Converting to T-Scores

Raw scores must be converted to T-scores using the age- and gender-specific normative tables found in the official SRS-2 Manual (Constantino & Gruber, 2012). T-scores have a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 10, allowing for standardized comparison across different demographic groups.

Important: The SRS-2 requires Level C qualifications to purchase and administer. Only qualified professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, licensed clinical social workers) should conduct formal scoring and interpretation.

Understanding SRS-2 T-Scores

SRS-2 raw scores are converted to T-scores with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. T-scores allow for comparison across different age groups and genders, making them the standard metric for interpretation.

SRS-2 T-Score Interpretation Chart

Download: SRS-2 T-Score Quick Reference Chart (PDF)

Interpreting SRS-2 Total Score

The Total Score is the most reliable indicator and provides an overall measure of ASD symptom severity. It’s derived from the sum of responses to all 65 items on the SRS-2 and is particularly useful for screening purposes and tracking changes over time or in response to interventions.

Detailed T-Score Range Interpretations:

1. T-score ≤ 59: Within Normal Limits

• Interpretation: Social responsiveness is within normal limits for the individual’s age and gender.
• Clinical Implications:
  • Individual is not experiencing significant difficulties in social interactions
  • ASD is unlikely, though not completely ruled out if other evidence suggests otherwise
  • No immediate intervention typically needed
• Clinical Example: A 7-year-old child who interacts appropriately with peers, understands social cues, shows typical emotional responses, and doesn’t display unusual repetitive behaviors or restricted interests.

2. T-score 60-65: Mild Range

• Interpretation: Indicates mild deficits in reciprocal social behavior that are clinically significant.
• Clinical Implications:
  • May be associated with subclinical autistic traits or broader autism phenotype
  • Could indicate milder presentations historically called PDD-NOS or Asperger’s Syndrome
  • Warrants closer observation and possibly further comprehensive assessment
  • Consider social skills support or monitoring
• Clinical Example: A 10-year-old who has difficulty maintaining back-and-forth conversations, occasionally misses social cues, and shows mild awkwardness in peer interactions but can generally function in everyday school and home situations.

3. T-score 66-75: Moderate Range

• Interpretation: Indicates clinically significant deficits in reciprocal social behavior that substantially interfere with everyday social interactions.
• Clinical Implications:
  • Strongly associated with a clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder
  • Indicates need for comprehensive diagnostic assessment if ASD has not been formally diagnosed
  • Suggests need for substantial support and intervention in social skills development
  • May benefit from structured social skills training, speech therapy, or behavioral interventions
• Clinical Example: A 14-year-old who struggles significantly in social situations, has marked difficulty forming and maintaining friendships, displays noticeable repetitive behaviors (hand-flapping when excited), and has intense focused interests that interfere with daily activities.

4. T-score ≥ 76: Severe Range

• Interpretation: Suggests severe deficits in reciprocal social behavior leading to severe and enduring interference with everyday social interactions.
• Clinical Implications:
  • Very strongly associated with a clinical diagnosis of ASD
  • Indicates need for comprehensive, intensive intervention and support across multiple life domains
  • May suggest more severe presentations of autism
  • Requires coordinated multidisciplinary support services
• Clinical Example: A 20-year-old adult with major challenges in social communication and interaction, minimal spontaneous verbal communication, very limited social reciprocity, pronounced repetitive behaviors (rocking, hand movements), and highly restricted interests that dominate daily functioning.

Additional Considerations for Total Score Interpretation:

1. Sensitivity vs. Specificity: The SRS-2 is designed to be highly sensitive (approximately 93% sensitivity), meaning it may sometimes identify individuals who do not have ASD (false positives). This design prioritizes not missing individuals who do have ASD.
2. Age and Gender Considerations: Interpretation must always use age- and gender-specific norms. Social behavior expectations vary significantly based on developmental stage and gender, and T-scores account for these differences.
3. Cultural Factors: Social norms and expectations vary across cultures. Always interpret scores within the individual’s cultural context, as what’s considered typical social behavior can differ significantly.
4. Comorbid Conditions: Other conditions like ADHD, anxiety disorders, language disorders, or social anxiety can elevate SRS-2 scores. High scores don’t automatically indicate autism when comorbid conditions are present.
5. Environmental Factors: Recent significant life events (trauma, family changes, school transitions) or environmental changes can temporarily impact social behavior and influence scores.
6. Longitudinal Perspective: Examining how scores change over time provides valuable information for monitoring intervention effectiveness and developmental trajectories.
7. Multiple Informant Perspective: Scores can vary significantly based on who completes the assessment (parent, teacher, self-report). Multiple informants provide a more comprehensive and accurate picture.
8. Subscale Profile Analysis: While the Total Score provides an overall measure, examining individual subscale scores reveals specific areas of strength and difficulty, informing targeted interventions.

Important Note: The Total Score is a powerful screening indicator, but it must always be interpreted as part of a comprehensive diagnostic assessment including clinical observation, developmental history, parent interviews, and other standardized measures.

Converting Raw Scores to T-Scores

Understanding the relationship between raw scores and T-scores is essential for proper interpretation:

Key Raw Score Information:

• Raw Score Range: 0-195 points (65 items × maximum score of 3 per item)
• School-Age Form Sensitivity Cutoff: Raw score ≥62 provides sensitivity/specificity of .92
• General Clinical Cutoff: Raw score ≥70 shows sensitivity of .78 and specificity of .94
• High Confidence Threshold: Raw score ≥85 (when confirmed by two independent informants) provides strong evidence of ASD

Note: T-score conversion tables are gender and age-specific. Always consult the official SRS-2 manual or scoring software for precise conversions based on the individual’s demographic characteristics.

Interpreting DSM-5 Compatible Scales

The SRS-2 includes two scales that align directly with DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder:

Social Communication and Interaction (SCI) Scale

This scale aligns with DSM-5 Criterion A for ASD: persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction.

• High scores indicate difficulties in:
  • Social awareness and reading social situations
  • Processing and interpreting social information
  • Capacity for reciprocal social communication and conversation
  • Social anxiety, avoidance, or withdrawal
  • Characteristic autistic preoccupations and social traits

Clinical Use: Elevated SCI scores with normal RRB scores may indicate social communication disorder rather than autism, requiring differential diagnosis.

Restricted Interests and Repetitive Behavior (RRB) Scale

This scale corresponds to DSM-5 Criterion B for ASD: restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.

• High scores indicate:
  • Stereotypical motor movements or speech patterns
  • Highly restricted, fixated interests characteristic of autism
  • Insistence on sameness and inflexible adherence to routines
  • Behavioral and cognitive rigidity
  • Unusual sensory interests or sensitivities

Clinical Use: Both SCI and RRB scales must show elevation for a complete autism profile consistent with DSM-5 criteria.

Interpreting Treatment Subscales

The five treatment subscales provide detailed information about specific areas of social functioning, guiding targeted intervention planning:

1. Social Awareness: Ability to pick up on social cues (facial expressions, body language, tone of voice). Deficits suggest difficulty with social perception.
2. Social Cognition: Ability to interpret and understand social cues once detected. Deficits indicate difficulty with theory of mind and perspective-taking.
3. Social Communication: Expressive social communication skills, including verbal and nonverbal expression. Deficits affect ability to effectively communicate in social contexts.
4. Social Motivation: Extent of interest in and motivation to engage in social-interpersonal behavior. Low motivation suggests reduced social drive.
5. Restricted Interests and Repetitive Behavior: Stereotypical behaviors, ritualistic patterns, or highly restricted interests characteristic of autism.

Treatment Planning: These subscales identify specific intervention targets. For example, high Social Awareness but low Social Cognition scores suggest focusing on perspective-taking and social interpretation skills rather than basic social perception.

Age-Specific Interpretation Guidelines

SRS-2 Preschool Form (Ages 2.5-4.5)

• Designed for early identification during critical developmental period
• Captures age-appropriate social behaviors (parallel play, joint attention, pretend play)
• Elevated scores warrant early intervention referral regardless of formal diagnosis
• Consider developmental variability; some children are late bloomers

SRS-2 School-Age Form (Ages 4-18)

• Most widely researched form with extensive normative data
• Assesses increasingly complex social demands of school environment
• Multiple informants (parent and teacher) highly recommended for comprehensive picture
• Particularly useful for monitoring intervention effectiveness across school years

SRS-2 Adult Form (Ages 19+)

• Rated by someone who knows the adult well (spouse, parent, close friend)
• Captures adult social functioning in workplace, relationships, and community settings
• Useful for late-diagnosis evaluations and identifying “camouflaged” autism
• Consider learned compensatory strategies that may mask core deficits

SRS-2 Adult Self-Report Form (Ages 19+)

• Completed by the adult about their own social functioning
• Provides valuable insight into self-awareness and subjective experience
• May differ from informant reports; discrepancies warrant clinical discussion
• Particularly useful for high-functioning individuals seeking assessment

Clinical Applications of the SRS-2

In clinical and research settings, the SRS-2 serves multiple valuable purposes:

Primary Clinical Uses:

• Screening for ASD: Efficient first-level screening tool in pediatric, school, and clinical settings
• Supporting Diagnostic Decisions: Provides quantitative data to support comprehensive diagnostic evaluations
• Treatment Planning: Subscale profiles guide development of targeted, individualized interventions
• Monitoring Progress: Tracks symptom changes over time and measures intervention effectiveness
• Research Applications: Quantifies social impairment severity in ASD research studies
• Differential Diagnosis: Helps distinguish ASD from other conditions with overlapping social symptoms

Critical Reminder: While the SRS-2 is a powerful and well-validated tool, it should never be used in isolation to diagnose ASD. A comprehensive evaluation by qualified professionals (psychologists, developmental pediatricians, psychiatrists) is necessary for formal diagnosis.

SRS-2 vs. Other Autism Assessments

Understanding how the SRS-2 compares to other autism assessment tools helps clinicians select appropriate measures:

When to Use SRS-2: The SRS-2 is ideal for initial screening, tracking treatment response, measuring symptom severity in research, and obtaining quantitative data from multiple informants. For definitive diagnosis, combine with ADOS-2 and/or ADI-R.

Critical Considerations in Score Interpretation

1. Multiple Informants: Whenever possible, gather data from multiple informants (parents, teachers, caregivers) to obtain a comprehensive picture. Discrepancies between informants provide valuable clinical information about context-dependent behaviors.
2. Contextual Factors: Always consider the individual’s life context, including cultural background, socioeconomic factors, educational opportunities, and family dynamics when interpreting scores.
3. Comorbid Conditions: Be aware that conditions such as ADHD, anxiety disorders, social anxiety, depression, language disorders, and intellectual disabilities can significantly influence SRS-2 scores. High scores don’t automatically indicate autism.
4. Age and Gender Norms: Always use the appropriate age- and gender-specific norms when interpreting scores. Never compare raw scores across different demographic groups.
5. Response Style: Consider the informant’s response style. Some raters may be overly critical or lenient. Extreme ratings (all 0s or all 3s) warrant follow-up discussion.
6. Comprehensive Assessment: The SRS-2 must be used as one component of a comprehensive assessment battery, not as a standalone diagnostic instrument. Always integrate with clinical observation, developmental history, cognitive testing, and other measures.

Real-World SRS-2 Score Examples

Case Study 1: Mild Range (T-Score 63)

Profile: 8-year-old male, teacher-rated
Total T-Score: 63
Subscales: Social Communication: 65, Social Awareness: 61, RRB: 58

Interpretation: Scores fall in the mild range, suggesting subclinical autistic traits. The child shows some difficulty with social communication and awareness but relatively typical restricted interests. This profile might indicate broader autism phenotype or mild social communication challenges.

Recommendations: Social skills group, continued monitoring, consider full evaluation if concerns persist or worsen.

Case Study 2: Moderate Range (T-Score 71)

Profile: 12-year-old female, parent-rated
Total T-Score: 71
Subscales: Social Cognition: 74, Social Motivation: 69, RRB: 70

Interpretation: Scores indicate clinically significant deficits strongly associated with ASD. Particular challenges with social cognition (understanding others’ perspectives) and restricted interests. Profile consistent with autism diagnosis.

Recommendations: Comprehensive diagnostic evaluation (ADOS-2, cognitive testing), consideration of social skills intervention, occupational therapy for sensory issues, IEP evaluation.

Case Study 3: Severe Range (T-Score 82)

Profile: 5-year-old male, parent and teacher consensus
Total T-Score: 82 (parent), 79 (teacher)
Subscales: All subscales elevated (range 76-85)

Interpretation: Scores in severe range across all domains, with agreement between multiple informants. Very strong association with ASD diagnosis. Pervasive deficits in social functioning and marked repetitive behaviors/restricted interests.

Recommendations: Immediate comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI/ABA), speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, family support services, special education services.

Frequently Asked Questions About SRS-2 Scoring

What is a normal SRS-2 score?

T-scores of 59 or below are considered within normal limits, indicating no clinically significant concerns for autism spectrum disorder. These scores suggest the individual’s social responsiveness is typical for their age and gender.

What does an SRS-2 score of 65 mean?

A T-score of 65 falls in the mild range (60-65), indicating mild deficits in reciprocal social behavior that are clinically significant. This may be associated with subclinical autistic traits, broader autism phenotype, or warrant further comprehensive assessment.

What does an SRS-2 score of 70 mean?

A T-score of 70 falls in the moderate range (66-75), indicating clinically significant deficits in social behavior that substantially interfere with everyday interactions. This score is strongly associated with a clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and suggests the need for comprehensive evaluation and intervention.

What is the SRS-2 cutoff for autism?

The SRS-2 does not have a single diagnostic cutoff score. However, T-scores of 60 or above indicate clinically significant concerns. Scores of 66 or higher (moderate range) are strongly associated with ASD diagnosis, and scores of 76 or higher (severe range) are very strongly associated with clinical diagnosis of autism.

How accurate is the SRS-2 for autism diagnosis?

The SRS-2 demonstrates high accuracy as a screening tool, with sensitivity of approximately 93% and specificity of 91% for distinguishing individuals with ASD from typically developing individuals. However, it should not be used alone for diagnosis and must be combined with comprehensive clinical evaluation.

Can the SRS-2 be used alone for autism diagnosis?

No, the SRS-2 should never be used in isolation to diagnose autism spectrum disorder. It is a screening and severity measure that must be used as part of a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation including clinical observation (ADOS-2), developmental history (ADI-R), cognitive assessment, and clinical judgment by qualified professionals.

What’s the difference between raw scores and T-scores on the SRS-2?

Raw scores are the sum of all 65 item responses (ranging from 0-195), while T-scores are standardized scores with a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 10. T-scores are age- and gender-specific conversions of raw scores that allow for meaningful comparison across different demographic groups.

How long does it take to complete the SRS-2?

The SRS-2 typically takes 15-20 minutes to complete. The rater should be someone familiar with the individual’s behavior over the past 6 months in natural social settings.

Can SRS-2 scores change over time?

Yes, SRS-2 scores can change over time in response to development, intervention, environmental changes, or changes in symptom severity. This makes the SRS-2 valuable for tracking treatment effectiveness and monitoring developmental trajectories. However, autism itself is a lifelong condition, so while symptom expression may change, core characteristics typically persist.

Why do parent and teacher SRS-2 scores sometimes differ?

Discrepancies between parent and teacher ratings are common and can be clinically meaningful. They may reflect: context-dependent behavior (home vs. school), different social demands in each setting, varying levels of structure and support, different rater perspectives or expectations, or the child’s ability to mask difficulties in certain environments. Both perspectives provide valuable information.

Conclusion

The SRS-2 is a well-validated, psychometrically sound tool for assessing autism spectrum disorder symptoms across the lifespan. Understanding T-score interpretation, considering contextual factors, and using the instrument as part of comprehensive assessment are essential for clinical utility.

Proper interpretation requires consideration of age and gender norms, cultural context, comorbid conditions, and multiple informant perspectives. While the SRS-2 provides valuable quantitative data about social responsiveness and autism symptom severity, it must always be interpreted by qualified professionals within the context of a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation.

For optimal clinical use, combine SRS-2 results with direct observation (ADOS-2), developmental history (ADI-R), cognitive assessment, and thorough clinical judgment to make accurate diagnostic and treatment planning decisions.

Additional Resources

• Understanding the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2)
• Adult Autism Testing Locations 2025 – Interactive Map
• Best Sensory Toys for Adults (2025)

Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. The SRS-2 must be administered and interpreted by qualified healthcare professionals. Always consult with licensed psychologists, developmental pediatricians, or psychiatrists for autism assessment and diagnosis.

Last Updated: November 2025 | Article Reviewed By: Clinical Psychology Specialists

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