Differential Scales of Social Maladjustment and Emotional Disturbance (DSSMED)

Purpose: To identify students with socio-emotional disturbance
Age: 6 –17.11 years
Time: 5 –10 Minutes

The Differential Scales of Social Maladjustment and Emotional Disturbance (DSSMED) is a 46-item, norm-referenced teachers’ rating scale that can be used to identify students with socio-emotional disturbance. The DSSMED is used primarily to differentiate between students with social maladjustment and those with emotional disturbance.

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 in a school setting for at least four weeks. It takes approximately 10 minutes to rate a student’s observed emotional behavior.

Results of the DSSMED can be used as part of a pre-referral/referral tool to identify “at risk” students and to assist with education programming decisions.