A Meta-Analysis of the Social Communication Questionnaire: Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism
Chesnut, S. R., Wei, T., et al. (2017).
Autism, 21(8), 920-928.
This meta-analysis investigates the accuracy of the Social Communication Questionnaire as screening instrument for autism spectrum disorder.
Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Not stated
Published studies
17
Poorer diagnostic accuracy for the [social communication questionnaire] SCQ was noted with populations younger than 4 years of age compared to those four years or older. "The studies that included individuals younger than 4 years reported much lower [area under the curve values] than studies that included individuals equal to or older than 4 years (0.765 and 0.922, respectively) with a large effect size, d=2.924" (p. 926).
"Results from the current meta-analysis suggest that the [social communication questionnaire] SCQ is an acceptably accurate screener of [autism spectrum disorder] ASD" (p. 926).
The Current version of the social communication questionnaire (SCQ) less accurately discriminated between individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and without ASD as compared to the Lifetime version of the SCQ. "The studies that utilized the Current version of the SCQ reported much lower [area under the curve values] than studies that utilized the Lifetime version (0.730 and 0.922, respectively) with a large effect size, d=3.898" (p. 926).
