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

The team gave the Stress Survey Schedule to kids with autism and to typically developing kids.

They compared scores across both groups and across younger and older ages.

The goal was to see if the tool truly separates stress levels in autistic youth from their peers.

Autistic kids scored higher on the Stress Survey Schedule than their typical peers.

Scores also differed between younger and older kids, showing the tool picks up age changes.

The results support the schedule’s divergent validity—it tells the groups apart.

Bakhtiari et al. (2021) also asked if autistic youth can self-report. They found BASC-2 answers are usable when IQ is 80 or above and attention problems are low. Together, the two studies say you can trust self-report scales in autistic youth if you screen for these factors.

Lemons et al. (2015) looked at anxiety, not stress, in the same age range. They warned that parent and child ratings often clash, especially when IQ is lower. The new stress study adds a twist: the child’s own voice can be valid, so collect both views instead of choosing one.

Nah et al. (2018) extended brief screening to adults, showing the two-minute DASS-21 flags anxiety and depression in nearly half of autistic adults. The youth stress findings now close the gap—quick self-report tools work across the lifespan.

You now have evidence that the Stress Survey Schedule is a quick, valid way to hear directly from autistic clients about their stress. Give it at intake, repeat each quarter, and track changes before and after interventions. Pair it with parent or teacher data to spot mismatches early and adjust supports faster.