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Operationalizing Social Communication in Autism and Related Neurodevelopmental Research: a Scoping Review Over 20 Years

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication/interaction and restricted set of interests, activities, and/or repetitive patterns of behaviour. Although a deficit in social communication is a hallmark characteristic of ASD, it is inconsistently defined in research. This review examined research over 20 years to report how studies have defined/operationalized social communication in ASD and the related disorders.

Recent Findings

Searches of key databases (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Educational Resources Information Center, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE) yielded 576 sources of which 293 met the inclusion criteria. Results demonstrated a lack of consensus defining social communication, a range of associated skills measured as an index of social communication (e.g., joint attention), and a lack of clarity on which associated constructs to measure at different developmental stages. The majority of studies used assessments to describe social communication (49.8%), but a wide range of instruments have been used without a clear understanding of whether social communication described by each instrument represents the same construct captured by the other instruments. The results also highlight the interdisciplinary interest in social communication involving at least 31 disciplines.

Summary

In order to tailor interdisciplinary treatments to the needs of the client, it is important for professionals across disciplines to be clear about the characteristics of focus. Further suggestions and areas for future focus are discussed. It is important for researchers, evidence-based clinicians, and professionals, as well as families to take this complexity into consideration when exploring social communication in ASD and its related neurodevelopmental disorders.

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Funding

Funding support for this study was provided to Dr. Di Rezze by the Hamilton Health Sciences Research 2020 Early Career Award.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Diana Tajik-Parvinchi & Hanna Fang

  2. School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Diana Tajik-Parvinchi, Sureka Selvakumaran, Lloyd Fan, Sonya Batth & Hanna Fang

  3. Communication Disorders, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA

    Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker, Amy Curtis Stone, Brittany Reed, Chelsea Kunitz, Autumn Ostlund, Hannah Snyder, Lindsey McMillan, Hannah Adams & Victoria Verosky

  4. Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Byron Ross

  5. School of Rehabilitation Science, CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research, Institute for Applied Health Sciences, McMaster University, 1400 Main Street West, Room 436, Hamilton, ON, L8S 1C7, Canada

    Briano Di Rezze

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  1. Diana Tajik-Parvinchi
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  2. Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker
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Correspondence to Briano Di Rezze.

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Conflict of Interest

Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker reports salary from University of Wyoming, outside the submitted work. Diana Tajik-Parvinchi, Sureka Selvakumaran, Lloyd Fan, Sonya Batth, Hanna Fang, Byron Ross, Amy Curtis Stone, Brittany Reed, Chelsea Kunitz, Autumn Ostlund, Hannah Snyder, Lindsey McMillan, Hannah Adams, Victoria Verosky, and Briano Di Rezze declare no conflicts of interest relevant to this manuscript.

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Tajik-Parvinchi, D., Hidecker, M.J.C., Selvakumaran, S. et al. Operationalizing Social Communication in Autism and Related Neurodevelopmental Research: a Scoping Review Over 20 Years. Curr Dev Disord Rep 8, 77–87 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-021-00224-2

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