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Cross-Cultural Validity of the Social Communication Questionnaire for Adults with Intellectual Developmental Disorder

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Abstract

Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is important throughout the lifespan. The objective was to investigate the transcultural diagnostic validity of the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) in a clinical sample of 451 adults with Intellectual Developmental Disorder (IDD) with and without ASD in Germany, the U.S.A. and Great Britain. Variables associated with higher SCQ sum-scores were higher levels of IDD, male gender, a diagnosis of ASD and the study site (Germany > U.S.A > G.B.). An ROC analysis revealed a cut-score of 13, which resulted in a sensitivity of 0.87 and a specificity of 0.58. It is recommended to adjust the cut-score according to level of IDD and gender. Further research is needed to align diagnostic assignment of ASD across different sites and countries.

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Acknowledgements

The funding was provided by von Bodelschwinghsche Stiftung Bethel.

Author Contributions

TS, WB and LU collected the data. All authors contributed in data analysis and interpretation and writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Ev. Krankenhaus Königin Elisabeth Herzberge (KEH), Herzbergstr. 79, 10365, Berlin, Germany

    Tanja Sappok & Manuel Heinrich

  2. Nisonger Center, The Ohio State University, Ohio, USA

    Whitney Brooks

  3. Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Manuel Heinrich

  4. Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College, London, UK

    Jane McCarthy & Lisa Underwood

  5. University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Lisa Underwood

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  1. Tanja Sappok
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  2. Whitney Brooks
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  3. Manuel Heinrich
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  4. Jane McCarthy
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  5. Lisa Underwood
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Correspondence to Tanja Sappok.

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Sappok, T., Brooks, W., Heinrich, M. et al. Cross-Cultural Validity of the Social Communication Questionnaire for Adults with Intellectual Developmental Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 47, 393–404 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2967-2

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