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Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS)3

Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS) Test

Understand how a child ages 10 to 16 experiences support at home and school in about 22 minutes. A 120 item profile pinpoints support gaps across key people to guide targeted school or clinical help.

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Questions: 12022 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

15,155 views

1,234 completions

1,029 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

265/360

Overall Frequency of Social Support (OFoSS)

Measures how often the child perceives receiving social support from people around them across key sources and support types.

Low frequency

Moderate frequency

High frequency

60 – 193: Low frequency | 194 – 274: Moderate frequency | 275 – 360: High frequency

A score of 265 indicates a moderate frequency of perceived social support, suggesting the child often experiences support but with some areas where support may be less consistent.

example score

39/72

Parent Support (PS)

Measures how frequently the child perceives emotional, informational, appraisal, and practical support from their parents.

Low support

Moderate support

High support

12 – 40: Low support | 41 – 64: Moderate support | 65 – 72: High support

A score of 39 falls in the Low support range, suggesting the child reports parental support and feedback as infrequent and practical help as limited.

example score

33/72

Teacher Support (TS)

Measures how often the child perceives support, care, and fair treatment from teachers.

Low support

Moderate support

High support

12 – 34: Low support | 35 – 58: Moderate support | 59 – 72: High support

A score of 33 falls in the Low support range, suggesting the child less often experiences teachers as caring, attentive, and fair.

example score

20/72

Classmate Support (CS)

Measures how often the child experiences supportive attention and involvement from classmates.

Low

Average

High

12 – 31: Low | 32 – 56: Average | 57 – 72: High

A score of 20 falls in the Low range, suggesting the child reports infrequent support from classmates.

example score

65/72

Close Friend Support (CFS)

Measures how often the child experiences supportive, connected, and helpful interactions from close friends.

Low support

Moderate support

High support

12 – 41: Low support | 42 – 69: Moderate support | 70 – 72: High support

A score of 65 indicates moderate perceived support from close friends, suggesting the child often feels helped and connected but may still experience gaps in support in some situations.

example score

28/72

Support From Other People (SFOP)

Measures how often the child receives social support from other significant adults at school (e.g., teachers, older students, counselors).

Low support

Moderate support

High support

12 – 23: Low support | 24 – 51: Moderate support | 52 – 72: High support

A score of 28 falls in the Moderate support range, suggesting the child receives some support from other significant adults but it may be inconsistent or limited in certain situations.

example score

34/90

Emotional Support (ES)

Measures how often the child experiences emotional support (feeling understood, listened to, and comforted) from people around them.

Low

Moderate

High

15 – 48: Low | 49 – 71: Moderate | 72 – 90: High

A score of 34 falls in the Low range, suggesting the child reports emotional support less often than expected and may feel less able to rely on others for understanding and comfort.

example score

43/90

Informational Support (IS)

Measures how often the child receives helpful advice, guidance, and information to handle problems (informational support).

Low

Moderate

High

15 – 47: Low | 48 – 71: Moderate | 72 – 90: High

A score of 43 falls in the Low range, suggesting the child receives informational support relatively infrequently and may have limited access to advice or guidance when dealing with challenges.

example score

47/90

Appraisal Support (AS)

Measures how often the adolescent experiences evaluative support (recognition and positive feedback) from people around them.

Low

Moderate

High

15 – 43: Low | 44 – 68: Moderate | 69 – 90: High

A score of 47 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting the adolescent receives some recognition and positive feedback but it may be inconsistent across people or situations.

example score

58/90

Material Support (MS)

Measures how often the child receives material or practical help (e.g., money or tangible assistance) from people around them.

Low

Moderate

High

15 – 48: Low | 49 – 70: Moderate | 71 – 90: High

A score of 58 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting the child receives material support sometimes, with room for stronger or more consistent practical help.

example score

127/180

Overall Importance of Social Support (OIoSS)

Measures how subjectively important social support is to the child overall across their social environment.

Low significance

Moderate significance

High significance

60 – 110: Low significance | 111 – 147: Moderate significance | 148 – 180: High significance

A score of 127 indicates a moderate level, meaning social support is important to the child at times but is not seen as highly significant overall.

example score

26/36

Parent Support (PS)

Measures how important the adolescent feels parental support is to them.

Low importance

Moderate importance

High importance

12 – 22: Low importance | 23 – 31: Moderate importance | 32 – 36: High importance

A score of 26 falls in the Moderate importance range, suggesting parental support is valued mainly in specific situations rather than consistently across contexts.

example score

31/45

Emotional Support (ES)

Measures how important emotional support (feeling understood, listened to, and cared for) is to the child.

Lower importance

Moderate importance

Higher importance

15 – 27: Lower importance | 28 – 38: Moderate importance | 39 – 45: Higher importance

A score of 31 falls in the Moderate importance range, suggesting emotional support is sometimes needed and valued but not consistently central.

example score

28/45

Informational Support (IS)

Measures how important informational support (receiving advice, guidance, and helpful information) feels to the child.

Lower importance

Moderate importance

High importance

15 – 27: Lower importance | 28 – 36: Moderate importance | 37 – 45: High importance

A score of 28 indicates informational support is of moderate importance to the child, suggesting they value advice and guidance but not as strongly as those in the high range.

example score

24/45

Appraisal Support (AS)

Measures how important it is to the child to receive evaluative feedback and acknowledgement of their efforts or achievements from others.

Low importance

Average importance

High importance

15 – 24: Low importance | 25 – 37: Average importance | 38 – 45: High importance

A score of 24 falls in the Low importance range, suggesting the child places relatively little importance on receiving feedback or comments from others.

example score

29/45

Tangible Support (TS)

Measures how important material or practical (financial) support feels to the child in their social environment.

Low importance

Average importance

High importance

15 – 26: Low importance | 27 – 37: Average importance | 38 – 45: High importance

A score of 29 falls in the Average importance range, suggesting material support is a moderate need and tends to matter in some situations but not consistently.

example score

23/36

Teacher Support (TS)

Measures how important teacher support, care, and fair treatment feel to the student.

Lower importance

Moderate importance

High importance

12 – 20: Lower importance | 21 – 30: Moderate importance | 31 – 36: High importance

A score of 23 falls in the Moderate importance range, suggesting teacher support is meaningful to the student but not experienced as absolutely central.

example score

19/36

Classmate Support (CS)

Measures how important and sufficient the adolescent perceives support from classmates to be.

Low

Average

High

12 – 18: Low | 19 – 30: Average | 31 – 36: High

A score of 19 falls in the Average range, suggesting classmate support is moderately important and typically needed only occasionally.

example score

25/36

Close Friend Support (CFS)

Measures how important the child feels support from close friends is to them.

Low importance

Average importance

High importance

12 – 23: Low importance | 24 – 32: Average importance | 33 – 36: High importance

A score of 25 indicates an average level, meaning support from close friends is valued and sought at times but not consistently.

example score

21/36

Support From Other People (SFOP)

Measures how important the child feels it is to receive support, advice, and attention from other significant adults.

Low importance

Moderate importance

High importance

12 – 16: Low importance | 17 – 29: Moderate importance | 30 – 36: High importance

A score of 21 indicates a moderate level, suggesting support from other adults is sometimes important to the child but not consistently prioritized.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

School counseling referrals

41%OF USERS

Students referred by counselors due to attendance issues, behavior concerns, or falling grades take it to map support from teachers, peers, and home.

Parents seeking clarity

34%OF USERS

Parents use it when they sense their child is struggling socially or emotionally and want to see where support feels strong or missing.

Clinicians monitoring progress

25%OF USERS

Therapists and psychologists administer it to understand a teen’s support network and track changes during treatment or after major life events.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Overall Social Support Frequency Score (OSSFS)

Average

216.3

Normal range

166.4 — 266.2

min.

max.

360

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Parental Support (PS)

Average

47.5

Normal range

38.7 — 56.3

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Support for Educators (SfE)

Average

37.5

Normal range

26.6 — 48.4

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Support from classmates (Sfc)

Average

32.2

Normal range

21.3 — 43.1

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Support from close friends (Sfcf)

Average

31.8

Normal range

23.4 — 40.1

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Supporting Other People (SOP)

Average

46.3

Normal range

37.1 — 55.5

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Emotional Support (ES)

Average

68.3

Normal range

57.3 — 79.3

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Information Support (IS)

Average

58.7

Normal range

49.4 — 67.9

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Evaluative Support (ES)

Average

70.2

Normal range

59.7 — 80.6

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Financial Support (FS)

Average

Normal range

33.4 — 52.6

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Overall measure of the significance of social support (Omotsoss)

Average

134.3

Normal range

113.7 — 154.9

min.

max.

180

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Parental Support (PS)

Average

28.8

Normal range

24.8 — 32.8

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Emotional Support (ES)

Average

25.4

Normal range

20.7 — 30.2

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Information Support (IS)

Average

33.4

Normal range

28.4 — 38.3

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Evaluative Support (ES)

Average

26.8

Normal range

23.1 — 30.5

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Financial Support (FS)

Average

22.9

Normal range

18.1 — 27.6

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Support for Educators (SfE)

Average

20.3

Normal range

16.1 — 24.5

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Support from classmates (Sfc)

Average

26.8

Normal range

22.9 — 30.6

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Support from close friends (Sfcf)

Average

29.2

Normal range

25 — 33.4

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Supporting Other People (SOP)

Average

26.2

Normal range

23 — 29.4

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

On the following pages, you will be asked to respond to statements about different types of support or help you receive from your parents, teachers, classmates, a close friend, and other people around you at school. Please read each statement carefully and answer as honestly as possible. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. For each statement, you will provide two responses: first, indicate how often you receive this type of support; second, indicate how important this support is to you.

- Never
- Almost never
- Sometimes
- Most of the time
- Almost always
- Always
- Not important
- Important
- Very important
- Never
- Almost never
- Sometimes
- Most of the time
- Almost always
- Always

These are 3 of the 120 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

social support

This measure is used to characterize perceived social support in youth across common interpersonal contexts. The Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS) provides a structured profile of support as experienced from key sources in the child’s environment.

Respondents rate both the frequency and perceived importance of supportive behaviors, allowing clinicians to differentiate how support is experienced and valued. It yields source-specific information that can inform case conceptualization and intervention planning in clinical, school, or research settings. The instrument includes 120 items and typically requires about 22 minutes to complete.

Developed by Joyce G. Sarason and Barbara R. Sarason, the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS) can help identify areas of relative strength and gaps in perceived support, supporting targeted discussion with the child and relevant caregivers or school personnel.

Author: Barbara R. Sarason, Joyce G. Sarason

Literature: Malecki, C. K., Demaray, M. K., Elliott, S. N., & Nolten, P. W. The child and adolescent social support scale (CASSS): Scale development and psychometric properties. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment. 1999.