Confirmatory factor analysis and norming of the social communication disorder screener

This study aimed to build upon a previous study which led to the development of the Social Communication Disorder Screener (SCDS), the first parent-report screener tool for Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder (SPCD). The SCDS was designed to address a gap in screeners and/or diagnostic tools that can be used with SPCD. In the previous study, an analyses suggested the presence of a three-factor model. This study expanded on the previous study by confirming the three-factor model of the SCDS, while also assessing for differences in scores between the clinical and typically developing sub-samples and differences in mean scores based on the gender of the child observed. Lastly, this study aimed to establish a cut-off score to identify children and adolescents at-risk of having SPCD. This study recruited a sample of 158 parents of children between the ages of 5 and 17 and included two clinical sub-samples (one sub-sample of individuals whose child has been formally diagnosed with ASD and a second whose child has been diagnosed with a language disorder). Results found support for the three-factor model as indicated by four indices of good fit; there was a statistically significant difference in the overall and factor-level scores between the clinical sub-samples and typically developing sample; there was no statistically significant difference in mean scores based on the gender of the child being observed. A cut-off score of 38 was identified by Youden’s statistic (J), maximizing sensitivity and specificity. Clinical implications, as well as strengths, limitations, and future directions are discussed.