{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,11]],"date-time":"2026-07-11T05:23:59Z","timestamp":1783747439556,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":65,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,4]],"date-time":"2023-04-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1680566400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction and Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study provides preliminary data on the Social Skills Improvement System (SSiS) Rating Scales Parent Form to measure social skills in a sample of 124 children and adolescents with Down syndrome (DS) ages 6\u201317 years.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Overall, participants demonstrated relatively mild symptoms, with the sample\u2019s average standard score falling within 1 standard deviation from the mean of the normative sample for the social skills (<jats:italic>M<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u200992, <jats:italic>SD<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u200915) and problem behaviors (<jats:italic>M<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u2009104, <jats:italic>SD<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u200912) domains (normative sample <jats:italic>M<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u2009100, <jats:italic>SD<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u200915 for both domains). However, a wide range of scores was observed across the sample for the composite and subscale scores. Differential patterns were also observed by subscale. For some subscales (i.e., Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Engagement, Externalizing, Hyperactivity\/Inattention, and Autism Spectrum), a disproportionate number of participants scored in the below average (i.e., lower levels of social skills) or above average (i.e., more symptomatic in problem behaviors or autism spectrum) range relative to the normative sample; for other subscales (i.e., Communication, Empathy, Self-Control, Bullying, and Internalizing), participants\u2019 score distribution aligned more closely to that of the normative sample. SSiS composite scores correlated in the expected directions with standardized measures of autism characteristics, executive function, and expressive language.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study provides some of the first evidence validating the use of the SSiS in youth with DS, filling a gap in standardized measures of social functioning in this population.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1105520","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,4]],"date-time":"2023-04-04T05:33:38Z","timestamp":1680586418000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Using the Social Skills Improvement System (SSiS) Rating Scales to assess social skills in youth with Down syndrome"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Marie Moore","family":"Channell","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laura J.","family":"Mattie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emily K.","family":"Schworer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Deborah J.","family":"Fidler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna J.","family":"Esbensen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"247","DOI":"10.1002\/mrdd.20158","article-title":"Language development in down syndrome: from the prelinguistic period to the acquisition of literacy","volume":"13","author":"Abbeduto","year":"2007","journal-title":"Ment. Retard. Dev. Disabil. Res. Rev."},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"214","DOI":"10.1352\/0895-8017(2008)113[214:SNOLAC]2.0.CO;2","article-title":"Signaling noncomprehension of language: a comparison of fragile X syndrome and down syndrome","volume":"113","author":"Abbeduto","year":"2008","journal-title":"Am. J. Ment. Retard."},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"98","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ridd.2017.10.002","article-title":"Inferential language use by youth with down syndrome during narration","volume":"71","author":"Ashby","year":"2017","journal-title":"Res. Dev. Disabil."},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0200932","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0200932","article-title":"Social knowledge and social reasoning abilities in a neurotypical population and in children with down syndrome","volume":"13","author":"Barisnikov","year":"2018","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"158","DOI":"10.1002\/ajmg.c.30097","article-title":"Neurobehavioral disorders in children, adolescents, and young adults with down syndrome","author":"Capone","year":"2006","journal-title":"Am. J. Med. Genet. C: Semin. Med. Genet."},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"113","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2788.2009.01215.x","article-title":"Social cognition in children with Down\u2019s syndrome: challenges to research and theory building","volume":"54","author":"Cebula","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Intellect. Disabil. Res."},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1177\/2396941520962406","article-title":"The social responsiveness scale (SRS-2) in school-age children with down syndrome at low risk for autism spectrum disorder","volume":"5","author":"Channell","year":"2020","journal-title":"Autism Dev. Lang. Impair."},{"key":"ref8","first-page":"185","article-title":"Assessment and intervention of cognitive and social functioning in adolescents, young adults, and older individuals with down syndrome","volume-title":"Multimodal AAC for Individuals With Down Syndrome","author":"Channell","year":"2021"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.1186\/s11689-021-09365-2","article-title":"Capturing cognitive and behavioral variability among individuals with down syndrome: a latent profile analysis","volume":"13","author":"Channell","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Neurodev. Disord."},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1866","DOI":"10.1186\/1866-1955-7-5","article-title":"Patterns of autism spectrum symptomatology in individuals with down syndrome without comorbid autism spectrum disorder","volume":"7","author":"Channell","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Neurodev. Disord."},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3543","DOI":"10.1007\/s10803-019-04074-1","article-title":"Characteristics associated with autism Spectrum disorder risk in individuals with down syndrome","volume":"49","author":"Channell","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Autism Dev. Disord."},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"405","DOI":"10.1097\/DBP.0b013e3182168f95","article-title":"Memory profiles of down, Williams, and fragile X syndromes: implications for reading development","volume":"32","author":"Conners","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr."},{"key":"ref13","volume-title":"The Social Responsiveness Scale","author":"Constantino","year":"2005"},{"key":"ref14","volume-title":"The Social Responsiveness Scale","author":"Constantino","year":"2012"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"74","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.115.1.74","article-title":"A review and reformulation of social information-processing mechanisms in children\u2019s social adjustment","volume":"115","author":"Crick","year":"1994","journal-title":"Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"ref16","article-title":"The emerging phenotype in infants with down syndrome: adaptations to atypical constraints","volume-title":"The Oxford Handbook of Down Syndrome and Development","author":"D\u2019Souza","year":"2022"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"591","DOI":"10.1017\/S030500091700006X","article-title":"Precursors to language development in typically & atypically developing infants & toddlers: the importance of embracing complexity","volume":"44","author":"D\u2019souza","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Child Lang."},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"181","DOI":"10.1097\/DBP.0b013e3181d5aa6d","article-title":"Screening for autism spectrum disorders in children with down syndrome","volume":"31","author":"DiGuiseppi","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr."},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"272","DOI":"10.1002\/mrdd.20159","article-title":"Psychiatric and behavioral disorders in persons with down syndrome","volume":"13","author":"Dykens","year":"2007","journal-title":"Ment. Retard. Dev. Disabil. Res. Rev."},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"307","DOI":"10.1352\/1944-7558-126.4.307","article-title":"Relationship between parent and teacher reported executive functioning and maladaptive behaviors in children with down syndrome","volume":"126","author":"Esbensen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Am. J. Intellect. Dev. Disabil."},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"247","DOI":"10.1352\/1944-7558-122.3.247","article-title":"Outcome measures for clinical trials in down syndrome","volume":"122","author":"Esbensen","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am. J. Intellect. Dev. Disabil."},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"86","DOI":"10.1097\/00001163-200504000-00003","article-title":"The emerging down syndrome behavioral phenotype in early childhood: implications for practice","volume":"18","author":"Fidler","year":"2005","journal-title":"Infants Young Child."},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"53","DOI":"10.3104\/reprints.305","article-title":"The emergence of a syndrome-specific personality profile in young children with down syndrome","volume":"10","author":"Fidler","year":"2006","journal-title":"Down Syndrome Res. Pract."},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"207","DOI":"10.1097\/01.IYC.0000324550.39446.1f","article-title":"Emerging social strengths in young children with down syndrome","volume":"21","author":"Fidler","year":"2008","journal-title":"Infants Young Child."},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1016\/bs.irrdd.2019.06.008","article-title":"Infant foundations in down syndrome: early constraints on cognitive skill acquisition","volume":"56","author":"Fidler","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. Rev. Res. Dev. Disabilit."},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"719","DOI":"10.1111\/jir.12176","article-title":"Fine motor and self-care milestones for individuals with down syndrome using a retrospective chart review","volume":"59","author":"Frank","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Intellect. Disabil. Res."},{"key":"ref27","volume-title":"Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function 2nd Edition (BRIEF2)","author":"Gioia","year":"2015"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"724","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2018.00724","article-title":"The relation between emotion understanding and theory of mind in children aged 3 to 8: the key role of language","volume":"9","author":"Grazzani","year":"2018","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref01","volume-title":"Social skills rating system","author":"Gresham","year":"1990"},{"key":"ref29","volume-title":"Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) Rating Scales","author":"Gresham","year":"2008"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.1002\/ajmg.c.31439","article-title":"Down syndrome: cognitive and behavioral functioning across the lifespan","volume":"169","author":"Grieco","year":"2015","journal-title":"Am. J. Med. Genet. C: Semin. Med. Genet."},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"340","DOI":"10.1352\/1944-7558-114.5.340","article-title":"Home-based peer social networks of young children with down syndrome: a developmental perspective","volume":"114","author":"Guralnick","year":"2009","journal-title":"Am. J. Intellect. Dev. Disabil."},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"310","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1468-3148.2010.00619.x","article-title":"The peer social networks of young children with down syndrome in classroom programmes","volume":"24","author":"Guralnick","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Appl. Res. Intellect. Disabil."},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4455","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ridd.2013.09.027","article-title":"Early intersubjective skills and the understanding of intentionality in young children with down syndrome","volume":"34","author":"Hahn","year":"2013","journal-title":"Res. Dev. Disabil."},{"key":"ref34","volume-title":"Children\u2019s Social Behavior Questionnaire Revised","author":"Hartman","year":"2007"},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"87","DOI":"10.1016\/S0074-7750(07)35003-9","article-title":"The development of social competence among persons with down syndrome: from survival to social inclusion","volume":"35","author":"Iarocci","year":"2008","journal-title":"Int. Rev. Res. Mental Retard."},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"287","DOI":"10.1080\/19315864.2014.920941","article-title":"Behavior and adaptive functioning in adolescents with down syndrome: specifying targets for intervention","volume":"7","author":"Jacola","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Ment. Health Res. Intellect. Disabil."},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"839","DOI":"10.1177\/17446295211030097","article-title":"The perspective of emerging adults with down syndrome \u2013 on quality of life and well-being","volume":"26","author":"Jevne","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Intellect. Disabil."},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"389","DOI":"10.12688\/f1000research.7506.1","article-title":"The importance of understanding individual differences in down syndrome","volume":"5","author":"Karmiloff-Smith","year":"2016","journal-title":"F1000Res."},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"424","DOI":"10.1111\/1469-7610.00132","article-title":"Empathy and response to distress in children with down syndrome","volume":"44","author":"Kasari","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"289","DOI":"10.1352\/1944-7558-122.4.289","article-title":"A multi-method investigation of pragmatic development in individuals with down syndrome","volume":"122","author":"Lee","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am. J. Intellect. Dev. Disabil."},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"107","DOI":"10.1111\/1467-8624.00124","article-title":"An integrated model of emotion processes and cognition in social information processing","volume":"71","author":"Lemerise","year":"2000","journal-title":"Child Dev."},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.1352\/1944-7558-127.2.135","article-title":"Post-high school transition outcomes for young adults with down syndrome","volume":"127","author":"Loveall","year":"2022","journal-title":"Am. J. Intellect. Dev. Disabil."},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"877","DOI":"10.1111\/jir.12396","article-title":"A cross-sectional analysis of executive function in down syndrome from 2 to 35 years","volume":"61","author":"Loveall","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Intellect. Disabil. Res."},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1420","DOI":"10.1002\/bdr2.1589","article-title":"National population-based estimates for major birth defects, 2010-2014","volume":"111","author":"Mai","year":"2019","journal-title":"Birth Defect. Res."},{"key":"ref45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3023","DOI":"10.1044\/2018_JSLHR-L-18-0008","article-title":"A multimethod analysis of pragmatic skills in children and adolescents with fragile X syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, and down syndrome","volume":"61","author":"Martin","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Speech Lang. Hear. Res."},{"key":"ref46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"112","DOI":"10.1097\/tld.0b013e3181a71fe1","article-title":"Language characteristics of individuals with down syndrome","volume":"29","author":"Martin","year":"2009","journal-title":"Top. Lang. Disord."},{"key":"ref47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"52","DOI":"10.4324\/9781315283531-2","article-title":"Language disorders in children with intellectual disability of genetic origin","volume-title":"Handbook of Child Language Disorders","author":"McDuffie","year":"2017"},{"key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"221","DOI":"10.1080\/19315864.2018.1481473","article-title":"Behavioral characteristics of individuals with down syndrome","volume":"11","author":"Patel","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Ment. Health Res. Intellect. Disabil."},{"key":"ref49","volume-title":"Behavior Assessment System for Children","author":"Reynolds","year":"2008"},{"key":"ref50","volume-title":"Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales","author":"Roid","year":"2003"},{"key":"ref51","volume-title":"Leiter International Performance Scale","author":"Roid","year":"2013"},{"key":"ref52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"514","DOI":"10.1352\/1944-7558-123.6.514","article-title":"Associations between medical history, cognition, and behavior in youth with down syndrome: a report from the down syndrome cognition project","volume":"123","author":"Rosser","year":"2018","journal-title":"Am. J. Intellect. Dev. Disabil."},{"key":"ref53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"836","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci11070836","article-title":"Psychometric evaluation of social cognition and behavior measures in children and adolescents with down syndrome\u2019, brain sciences","volume":"11","author":"Schworer","year":"2021","journal-title":"Brain Sci."},{"key":"ref54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1290","DOI":"10.3109\/09638288.2013.854843","article-title":"\u201cI have a good life\u201d: the meaning of well-being from the perspective of young adults with down syndrome","volume":"36","author":"Scott","year":"2014","journal-title":"Disabil. Rehabil."},{"key":"ref55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcomdis.2017.06.003","article-title":"Assessing pragmatic communication in children with down syndrome","volume":"68","author":"Smith","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Commun. Disord."},{"key":"ref56","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-74985-9_5","article-title":"Down syndrome","volume-title":"Handbook of Pragmatic Language Disorders","author":"Thurman","year":"2021"},{"key":"ref57","article-title":"QuickFacts: population","volume":"1","year":"2022","journal-title":"Census"},{"key":"ref58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e21879","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0021879","article-title":"Development, problem behavior, and quality of life in a population based sample of eight-year-old children with down syndrome","volume":"6","author":"van Gameren-Oosterom","year":"2011","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4599","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ridd.2013.09.041","article-title":"Practical and social skills of 16-19-year-olds with down syndrome: Independence still far away","volume":"34","author":"van Gameren-Oosterom","year":"2013","journal-title":"Res. Dev. Disabil."},{"key":"ref60","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"433","DOI":"10.1002\/aur.1371","article-title":"Autism characteristics and behavioural disturbances in \u223c\u2009500 children with Down\u2019s syndrome in England and Wales","volume":"7","author":"Warner","year":"2014","journal-title":"Autism Res."},{"key":"ref61","volume-title":"Expressive Vocabulary Test","author":"Williams","year":"2007"},{"key":"ref62","volume-title":"Expressive Vocabulary Test","author":"Williams","year":"2019"},{"key":"ref63","volume-title":"Gross Motor Skills For Children With Down Syndrome","author":"Winders","year":"2013"},{"key":"ref64","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1473","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ridd.2014.04.002","article-title":"Visuo-spatial ability in individuals with down syndrome: is it really a strength?","volume":"35","author":"Yang","year":"2014","journal-title":"Res. Dev. Disabil."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1105520\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,4]],"date-time":"2023-04-04T05:33:54Z","timestamp":1680586434000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1105520\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,4]]},"references-count":65,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1105520"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1105520","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-1078"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-1078","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,4]]},"article-number":"1105520"}}