Extending the Usefulness of the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC): Validating the Phrase Speech and Young Fluent Version.

There was no control group, so score changes cannot be separated from time, maturation, or the varied behavioral interventions in progress. All participants were receiving different behavioral interventions, including intensive day programs and less intensive weekly programs, so the effect of any single component or treatment type cannot be identified. Sixteen participants were lost to follow-up, and change analyses used 144 participants with two or more videos. Test-retest reliability was based on only 26 participants with repeat videos within one month, partly because of COVID restrictions. Restricted and repetitive behavior scores had lower reliability and did not change significantly, so the measure is less useful for tracking those behaviors over short periods. SRS comparisons relied on scores from 18 participants at two timepoints, so the large parent-report change should be interpreted cautiously. The sample was English-speaking, and the authors note the need for more racially diverse samples.

The Simons Foundation funded the work. The supplied text does not report author conflicts of interest or sponsor role in design or manuscript preparation.

Do not read the BOSCC-PSYF score improvements as evidence that the children's behavioral interventions worked. The study had no control group, and all children were receiving varied interventions, so change cannot be separated from time, maturation, or treatment.