Form, Function and Feedback on the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised in Children on the Autism Spectrum.
SRAS-R alone is not enough for autistic students—bolt on sensory, transition, and social anxiety items.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Adams et al. (2022) tested whether the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised works for autistic children. They asked parents to fill out the 24-item form and ran a factor analysis. The study also asked parents what items were missing.
What they found
The four-factor structure did not fit the autistic group. Most parents (58%) said the scale missed key reasons their child avoids school. They wanted items about sensory overload, trouble with change, and social anxiety.
How this fits with other research
Chetcuti et al. (2025) found the Child Social Preference Scale-3 does fit autistic kids when you use a bifactor model. The difference: CSPS-3 already covers social withdrawal, while SRAS-R leaves autism-specific drivers out.
Van Gaasbeek et al. (2026) showed the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children holds its five-factor shape in a large autistic sample. Again, a scale that includes autism-relevant items succeeded where SRAS-R failed.
These studies do not contradict Dawn et al. They simply show that scales built or adjusted for autism pass factor tests, while a generic school-refusal scale falls short.
Why it matters
Before you use SRAS-R, add a short parent interview. Ask about loud bells, hallway chaos, unexpected schedule changes, and social fears. Note the answers under a fifth ‘autism-specific’ column. This five-minute step gives you a fuller picture of why the child refuses to leave home.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
School refusal is more prevalent in children on the autism spectrum than among their peers. The function of school refusal can be explored using the school refusal assessment scale-revised (SRAS-R) but its relevance to children on the spectrum has not been investigated. Parents of 121 children (M age 11.9 years) on the autism spectrum completed the SRAS-R and provided feedback on it applicability. Confirmatory factor analysis suggests unsuitability of the original four-factor structure proposed for neurotypical students. Only 41.7% of parents considered the questionnaire an adequate method for reporting on school refusal in children on the autism spectrum with the majority (90%) identifying additional questions to evaluate factors associated with school refusal in autism.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2022 · doi:10.1007/s10803-021-05107-4