Identifying the Function of School Refusal Behavior: A Revision of the School Refusal Assessment Scale

A revision of the School Refusal Assessment Scale (SRAS-R), a measure designed to help clinicians identify the primary function of a child's school refusal behavior, was examined. Changes in the original version of the scale were made to improve psychometric quality and align the measure in accordance with evolutions in the functional model. Two samples of youth with school refusal behavior, in addition to parents and teachers, were evaluated to determine the test-retest and interrater reliability and construct and concurrent validity of the SRAS-R. The scale was found to have good psychometric strength. Implications of these findings for clinicians who address this population are discussed.