Validating and Applying the CSBS-ITC in Neurogenetic Syndromes.
Lisa R Hamrick, Bridgette L Tonnsen
PMID 31026205WHAT IT FOUND
In Angelman, Prader-Willi, and Williams syndromes, raw CSBS-ITC scores can show early social communication profiles and growth over months.
Age-based scores often hit the lowest possible level, especially in Angelman. Use raw scores and do not treat this screener as diagnostic.
Key findings
01Raw CSBS-ITC scores were more usable than age-based scores because floor effects were nearly absent in raw scores.
02After a 6-month period, raw scores showed gains in typically developing, Prader-Willi, and Williams groups, but not in Angelman.
03The CSBS-ITC is a screening measure and should not be used for communication diagnoses.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The CSBS-ITC was completed by mothers online, and no in-person language, cognitive, or autism assessment was available to confirm diagnoses or severity. Genetic status was confirmed by medical report for only 72% of the neurogenetic syndrome participants. Age-based scores were available only for children assessed between 6 and 24 months, and the longitudinal analyses used a smaller group with follow-up intervals from 3 to 20 months. Age-based scores often hit the floor in the syndrome groups, especially Angelman, so they may not show specific strengths or weaknesses. Syndrome-specific profiles may reflect different levels of global developmental delay rather than true syndrome-specific social communication patterns. The sample was limited to U.S. families speaking English at home, and additional validation in more representative samples is needed. The CSBS-ITC is a screener, not a diagnostic instrument.
Declared interests
No author conflict-of-interest statement is included in the supplied text. The publication types indicate NIH extramural research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use a low CSBS-ITC score to diagnose a communication disorder or to conclude that an intervention worked. The study tested a parent-report screener, not an intervention, and in Angelman syndrome many age-based scores were at the floor, so low scores may reflect severe global delay rather than a specific communication profile.