Influence of family demographic factors on social communication questionnaire scores.
Steven A Rosenberg, Eric J Moody, Li-Ching Lee and 11 others
PMID 29424959WHAT IT FOUND
At SCQ score 11, 88% of autistic children in clinical samples were identified, but only 74% of non-autistic children were correctly cleared.
False positives were more common in lower-income, lower-education, and Black families.
Key findings
01At an SCQ score of 11, the screen identified 88% of children with ASD in the clinical sample and correctly cleared 74% of children without ASD.
02Higher SCQ scores were associated with male sex, lower household income, lower maternal education, and Black and Other maternal race in both clinical and general population groups.
03In the clinical group, at score 11, the screen correctly cleared 49% to 89% of children without ASD across household income categories and 54% to 88% across maternal education categories.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Most children below an SCQ score of 11 were not evaluated for ASD, so the reported proportion correctly cleared may be too high. The general population group had only 18 children classified with ASD, which was too few to examine how well the screen found ASD in that group. The study included only children who completed the clinic visit and caregiver interview, so it does not represent all enrolled families. The paper cannot explain why lower education, lower income, and Black race were linked to higher SCQ scores. Possible reasons include misinterpretation, desire for services, or participation differences. Spanish language was not significant, but the small number of Spanish speakers may have limited that finding.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The publication types list U.S. Public Health Service research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat an SCQ score of 11 as proof of autism. In the clinical sample, the screen correctly cleared only 74% of children without ASD, and it correctly cleared fewer children in some demographic groups.