Revising Social Communication Questionnaire scoring procedures for

Autism Spectrum Disorder and potential Social Communication Disorder

Lucy Barnard-Brak, David M. Richman, & Steven R. Chesnut
Texas Tech University
Findings

In analyzing data from the National Database for Autism Research, we

examine revising the Social Communication Questionnaire, a commonly
used screening instrument for Autism Spectrum Disorder.. A combination of
Item Response Theory and Mokken scaling techniques were utilized to
achieve this and abbreviated scoring of the SCQ is suggested. The
psychometric sensitivity of this abbreviated SCQ was examined via
bootstrapped Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses.
Additionally, we examined the sensitivity of the abbreviated and total scaled
SCQ as it relates to a potential diagnosis of Social (Pragmatic)
Communication Disorder (SCD). As SCD is a relatively new disorder
introduced with the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
(DSM-5), we derived potential diagnosis of SCD among individuals with
ASD via mixture modeling techniques using NDAR data. These analyses
revealed two classes or clusters of individuals when considering the two core
areas of impairment among individuals with ASD: social communication and
restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior.

Sample
From NDAR, the sample consisted of 1,031 individuals with SCQ and ADOS score information.
The average age of the sample was 103.45 months (SD = 70.19).

Mixture modeling analyses (see Table 2 for

results) indicated the presence of two
classes in determining the prevalence of
potential SCD.

A combination of Item Response Theory and Mokken scaling techniques were utilized.

Social Communication Questionnaire

Commonly used screener for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Consists of 40 dichotomous items
1st item pertains to verbal ability

Item Response Theory analyses were performed in FlexMirt (v. 2.0).

Table 1 provides the seven items that have been identified along with factor loadings () and IRT
parameter estimates (a, b, and c).

Subsequent meeting or exceeding the cutoff leads to referral for diagnostic

assessment.

50

Under 4

40

Over 4

30
20
10
0

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

1 Specificity

4
7
10
13

6,503.39
6,463.65
6,475.61
6,489.44

AIC
6,485.76
6,432.79
6,431.53
6,432.13

Conclusions
Results indicate evidence of an abbreviated scoring for the SCQ that appears to be psychometrically sufficient.
It appears that Mokken scaling in combination with Item Response Theory techniques provide a means of
abbreviating scales while maintaining psychometric properties of the total scale.

Table 1. Factor loadings and IRT parameter estimates for seven-item SCQ
Item

a
0.92
Q4: Socially inappropriate questions/statements
0.61
0.47
0.75
Q10: Used others hand like a tool
Q11: Odd, preoccupying interests
0.77
2.49
Q13: Unusual, intense special interests
0.80
2.24
Q15: Odd ways or movements
0.62
1.02
Q26: Look directly at you in communicating*
0.39
0.81
Q39: Playing imaginative games*
0.40
0.77
* Items reverse-recoded on SCQ

b
0.04
0.34
-0.13
-0.41
-0.25
-0.41
-0.87

c
-0.04
-0.25
0.32
0.92
0.25
0.33
0.67

There is an unknown number of individuals without an ASD diagnosis who may qualify for an SCD diagnosis and
this procedure needs to be tested with a sample consisting of those individuals without ASD diagnoses as well.
Furthermore, the diagnostic assessment procedure for SCD is still very much in the development stage thus we are
careful to term this group of individuals as having potential SCD without the assistance of validated diagnostic
assessments or cutoffs.

Selected References:
Bolte, S., Holtmann, M., & Poustka, F. (2008). The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) as a screener for ASDs. Journal
of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 47(6), 719-720.

1.0

Probability

SCQ has a clear psychometric provenance (e.g., Bolte, Holtmann, &

Poustka, 2008; Wiggins et al., 2007; Corsello et al., 2007).

SCQ varies in sensitivity and specificity and this cutoff has been
questioned.

Whole Sample

Mokken scaling analyses were performed in R (v. 3.1.2) using the Mokken package (van der Ark,
2012).

Normed for a sample aged 4 to 40 years old

The cutoff score of 15 for SCQ is typically used.

Sample

60

1-class
2-class
3-class
4-class

Typically completed by parents or caregivers

Utilized SCQ lifetime form item scores over current form item scores
when both present based upon previous psychometric analyses (Wei,
Chesnut, Barnard-Brak, & Richman, in press)

70

Table 2. Model statistics for each class solution

Model
# of free parameters
BIC

Early screening is a prerequisite to early intervention, which may be

considered as especially important for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Consideration should also be given to the new Social Communication

(Pragmatic Disorder) introduced with the DSM-5.

80

The graph below contains the distribution

between ASD versus potential SCD.

Analyses

Improving the integration of universal screening for ASD screening would

be served by developing an abbreviated and psychometrically valid
screening instrument.

90

Introduction

The purpose of the current study was to develop a more psychometrically

efficient scoring procedure for the Social Communication Questionnaire
(SCQ).

The abbreviated SCQ appears to have

similar levels of sensitivity and specificity
for the whole sample, under 4 years, and
over 4 years.

100

Sensitivity

Abstract

0.9

Question

0.8

0.7

10

0.6

11

0.5

13

0.4

15

0.3
0.2

26

0.1

39

From the table above:

Corsello, C., Hus, V., Pickles, A., Risi, S., Cook, E. H., Leventhal, B., & Lord, C. (2007). Between a ROC and a hard place:
decision making and making decisions about using the SCQ. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 48(9), 932940.
Van der Ark, L. A. (2012). New developments in Mokken scale analysis in R. Journal of Statistical Software, 48(5), 1-27.

a refers to discrimination,
b refers to difficulty
c refers to the pseudo
guessing parameter
From the figure to the left:

Wei, T., Chesnut, S. R., Barnard-Brak, L. & Richman, D.. (in press). Psychomertic analysis of the social communication
questionnaire using an item-response theory framework. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment.
Wiggins, L., Bakeman, R., Adamson, L., & Robins, D. (2007). The utility of the Social Communication Questionnaire in
screening for autism in children referred for early intervention. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 22(1), 3338.

0.0
3

Theta

Theta () refers to the

continuum of the latent trait
The curves represented are
the Item Characteristic
Curves for each item

Acknowledgements
This study was supported by grant, R40 MC27475, R40 MCH Autism Secondary Data Analysis Studies (SDAS)
Program, from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of
Health and Human Services.
Data used in the preparation of this poster resides in the NIH-supported NIMH Data Repositories, specifically from
the National Database for Autism Research. Information regarding collections and submitters is available upon request.