The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ; Rutter, Bailey, &
Lord, 2003), previously known as the Autism Screening Questionnaire (ASQ), was
initially designed as a companion screening measure for the Autism Diagnostic
Interview-Revised (ADI-R; Rutter, Le Couteur & Lord). The SCQ is a
parent/caregiver dimensional measure of ASD symptomatology appropriate for
children of any chronological age older than fours years. It can be completed
by the informant in less than 10 minutes. The primary standardization data were
obtained from a sample of 200 individuals who had participated in previous
studies of ASD. The SCQ is available in two forms, Lifetime and Current, each
with 40 questions presented in a yes or no format. Scores on the questionnaire
provide an index of symptom severity and indicate the likelihood that a child
has an ASD. Questions include items in the reciprocal social interaction domain
(e.g., “Does she/he have any particular friends or best friend?”), the
communication domain (e.g., “Can you have a to and fro ‘conversation’ with
him/her that involves taking turns or building on what you have said?”) and the
restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behaviour domain (e.g., Has
she/he ever seemed to be more interested in parts of a toy or an object [e.g.,
spinning the wheels of a car], rather than using the object as intended?”).
Compared to other screening measures, the SCQ has
received significant scrutiny and has consistently demonstrated its
effectiveness in predicting ASD versus non-ASD status in multiple studies. The
scale has been found to have good discriminant validity and utility as an
efficient screener for at-risk groups of school-age children. A threshold raw
score of >15 is recommended to minimize the risk of false negatives and
indicate the need for a comprehensive evaluation. Comparing autism to other
diagnoses (excluding mental retardation), this threshold score resulted in a
sensitivity value of .96 and a specificity value of .80 in a large population
of children with autism and other developmental disorders. The positive
predictive value was .93 with this cutoff. The authors recommend using
different cut-off scores for different purposes and populations (e.g., a
cut-off of 22 when differentiating autism from other ASDs and a cut-off of 15
when differentiating ASD from non-ASD). Several studies (Allen et al., 2007;
Eaves et al, 2006) have suggested that a cut-off of 11 may be more clinically
useful (Norris & Lecavalier, 2010).
The SCQ is one of the most researched of the
ASD-specific evaluation tools and can be recommended for screening and as part
of comprehensive developmental assessment for ASD (Norris &
Lecavalier, 2010; Wilkinson, 2010, 2011). The SCQ is an efficient screening
instrument for identifying children with possible ASD for a more in-depth
assessment. For clinical purposes, practitioners might consider a multistage
assessment beginning with the SCQ, followed by a comprehensive developmental
evaluation (Wilkinson, 2011). However, cut-off scores may need to be adjusted
depending on the population in which it is used. The evidence also indicates
that although the SCQ is appropriate for a wide age range, it is less effective
when used with younger populations (e.g., children two to three years). It was
designed for individuals above the age of four years, and seems to perform best
with individuals over seven years of age.
References:
Chandler, S., Charman, T., Baird, G., Simonoff, E.,
Loucas, T., Meldrum, D., & Pickles, A. (2007). Validation of the Social
Communication Questionnaire in a population cohort of children with autism
spectrum disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 46, 1324–1332.
Mash, E. J., & Hunsley, J. (2005).
Evidence-based assessment of child and adolescent disorders: Issues and
challenges. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 34,
362-379.
Norris, M., & Lecavalier, L. (2010). Screening
accuracy of level 2 autism spectrum disorder rating scales: A review of
selected instruments. Autism, 14, 263–284.
Rutter, M., Bailey, A.,
& Lord, C. (2003). Social Communication Questionnaire. Los
Angeles: Western Psychological Services.
Wilkinson, L. A. (2010). A best practice guide
to assessment and intervention for autism and Asperger syndrome in schools.
London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Wilkinson, L. A. (2011). Identifying students with
autism spectrum disorders: A review of selected screening tools. Communiqué, 40, pp.
1, 31-33.
© Lee A. Wilkinson, PhD
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