Brief report: suitability of the Social Skills Performance Assessment (SSPA) for the assessment of social skills in adults with autism spectrum disorders.

Researchers tested the Social Skills Performance Assessment (SSPA) on the adults with autism and 26 typical adults. The SSPA uses short role-plays like meeting a new neighbor or asking for help at work.

Two trained raters scored each video for eye contact, conversational flow, and social appropriateness. The team then checked if scores could tell the groups apart and if raters agreed.

Adults with autism scored lower on every SSPA skill area. The gap was large enough that a single cut-off score correctly flagged 83 % of autistic adults.

Raters agreed 85 % of the time, and scores did not link to IQ or anxiety, so the tool measures social skill, not general ability or mood.

Hedley et al. (2023) built a similar role-play tool for suicidal thoughts in autistic adults. Both papers show that brief, filmed interactions can yield reliable scores when raters use clear rules.

Xue et al. (2024) also validated a self-report survey for autistic adults, but their measure relied on written answers. The SSPA adds a live-performance piece that catches skills clients may not notice in themselves.

Lecavalier et al. (2004) tested a parent checklist for kids. Their factor structure held up, yet the SSPA moves beyond checklists by showing real-time social gaps in adults, not children.

If you need a quick, low-cost social skills baseline for adult clients, the SSPA is ready to use. You only need a camera, two short scripts, and 15 minutes. The clear cut-off helps you decide who needs social skills training and later show parents or funders measurable change.