A Meta-Analysis of the Social Communication Questionnaire: Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder

• In Event: 49.084 - Autism Spectrum Disorders: Educational Placements and Supports

Abstract

The present review examines research on the diagnostic utility of the social communication questionnaire (SCQ; Rutter, Bailey, & Lord, 2003) in screening for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study systematically examines the effects found within the literature and highlights important methodological issues in using the screener. A total of 10 studies were included in the final analysis, encompassing 2,893 participants from North America, South America, Europe, and Australia. Findings suggest that the SCQ is an acceptable screening tool capable of accurately discriminating individuals later diagnosed with ASD (AUC = 0.834). The accuracy of the screener, however, is heavily dependent upon certain methodological decisions including participant inclusion and version selection. Implications for using the SCQ to screen for ASD are discussed.

Authors

• Steven Randall Chesnut, University of Southern Mississippi

• Tianlan Wei, Mississippi State University

• Lucy M. Barnard-Brak, Texas Tech University

• David Richman, Texas Tech University