What does the Differential Scales of Social Maladjustment and Emotional Disturbance measure?

Taken from the Differential Scales of Social Maladjustment and Emotional Disturbance (DSSMED) manual: The Differential Scales of Social Maladjustment and Emotional Disturbance (DSSMED), is a 46-item, norm-referenced rating scale that can be used to differentiate between students with social maladjustment and those with emotional disturbance. It is also effective in identifying cases of Co-Morbidity (i.e. students exhibiting characteristics of social maladjustment and emotional disturbance who might otherwise go unidentified and unserved through special education). The DSSMED is normed on a national sample of 1,337 students and has strong reliability and validity. Teachers, school psychologists, or other knowledgeable professionals rate the items on a 5-point Likert-like scale. Ideally, the examiner should be someone who has had regular, daily contact with the student for at least four weeks. Results of the DSSMED can be used as a pre-referral/referral tool to identify “at risk” students, as a subcomponent of a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation of social-emotional-behavioral functioning in children and adolescents, and as one of other sources of data to assist with educational programming decisions.