Exploratory factor analysis of the social skills improvement system (SSIS) for autistic children: Implications for use and educational placement

•Exploratory Factor Analysis of the SSIS-RS yielded a four-factor solution.•Majority of test items removed following EFA were related to problem behaviors.•Results supports internal validity of the SSIS-RS for children with autism.•SSIS-RS scores differed significantly between groups by educational placement.•Implications include need to rethink how behavior is conceptualized as problematic.