Psychometric Properties of the Standardised Instruments That Are Used to Measure (Pragmatic) Intervention Effects in Autistic Children: A Systematic Review
Autism & Developmental Language Impairments
Pereira, T., Lopes, A. C., et al. (2025).
Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 10, 23969415251341251.
<div>This systematic review examines the psychometric propertied of various standardized pragmatic language assessment used within research to measure the effects of interventions. </div>
European Social Fund; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal)
2005 to 2023
<div>Randomized and non-randomized controlled trials</div>
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<div>Good concurrent validity was globally reported in the following standardized instruments measuring pragmatic language skills in children on the autism spectrum:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-Second Edition (ABAS-II);</li>
<li>the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS);</li>
<li>the Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language (CASL);</li>
<li>the New RDLS Reynell Developmental Language Scales (New RDLS);</li>
<li>the Preschool Language Scale-Fifth Edition (PLS-5);</li>
<li>the Social Responsiveness Scale-Second Edition (SRS-2);</li>
<li>the Teste de Linguagem–Avaliação da Linguagem Pré-Escolar (TL-ALPE); and</li>
<li>the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Second Edition (Vineland-II).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>Good predictive validity was reported for the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), the CSBS, and the SRS-2 when used to measure pragmatic language in child on the autism spectrum. </div>
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<div>Adequate to good construct validity was reported for the following social language measures when used for children on the autism spectrum:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC)</li>
<li>the CASL;</li>
<li>the Escala de Avaliação de Competências Comunicativas (EAC);</li>
<li>the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL);</li>
<li>the Social Skills Questionnaire (SSQ)</li>
<li>the SRS-2; and</li>
<li>the Vineland-II.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>Good content validity (i.e., good applicability and relevance) and reasonable to excellent internal consistency were generally reported for the following pragmatic language measures when used for children on the autism spectrum:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>the ABAS-II;</li>
<li>the ADOS-2;</li>
<li>the Autism Social Skills Profile (ASSP);</li>
<li>the Bayley-III;</li>
<li>the BOSCC;</li>
<li>the CASL; </li>
<li>the Children's Communication Checklist (CCC-2);</li>
<li>the CSBS; </li>
<li>the EAC;</li>
<li>the MSEL;</li>
<li>the New RDLS;</li>
<li>the PLS-5;</li>
<li>the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS);</li>
<li>the SRS-2;</li>
<li>the SSQ;</li>
<li>the Test of Adolescent Social Skills Knowledge- Revised(TASSK-R);</li>
<li>the Test of Pragmatic Language (TPS); </li>
<li>the TL-ALPE; and</li>
<li>the Vineland-II.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>No studies investigated the responsiveness of measures used to assess pragmatic language in children on the autism spectrum. </div>
