What age group is typically not recommended for the Social Responsiveness Scale to assess ASD?

• A. Under 3 years
• B. 2 to 5 years
• C. Under 2 years
• D. Over 12 years

Answer: (C)

The age group typically not recommended for the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) to assess Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is children under 2 years. This is primarily because the SRS was designed to assess social behavior in a developmental context where more recognizable social challenges commonly emerge, which typically becomes apparent as children reach around 2 years of age and beyond.

At ages younger than 2, the social behaviors and communication milestones that are critical for an accurate assessment of ASD may not yet be fully developed or observable. Furthermore, the SRS is structured to capture nuances in social interaction that may not be applicable or discernable in children who are still in the earliest stages of development. In contrast, children from 2 years and older can display behaviors that the SRS can effectively measure, as they begin to engage more interactively with others and exhibit social behaviors that are relevant to the criteria for diagnosing ASD.

Therefore, using the SRS for children under 2 years may result in unreliable or invalid results due to the developmental stage and the limitations in observable social skills at that age.