Exploring communicative competence in autistic children who are minimally verbal: The Low Verbal Investigatory Survey for Autism (LVIS).

The study was a pilot, so the results need confirmation in a larger, independent sample. Only 31 children were described by caregivers as minimally verbal, so the tool's usefulness for the main target group is not well established. The Atypical Communication factor was not scored, so the LVIS did not produce a standard measure of autism-specific communication features. The researchers did not check whether parents would give the same answers over time or whether different examiners would score the form the same way. The sample came from three different studies with different demographic and testing data, and some information was not collected. In the typically developing group, LVIS scores were not related to Preschool Language Scales scores, likely because many children reached the top of the LVIS. Some items may have been poorly worded, especially items about alternative communication.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Do not treat the LVIS as a replacement for formal assessment of minimally verbal autistic children. It is a pilot measure, only 31 children were described as minimally verbal, and the authors state it is not intended to replace formal clinical testing.