Measuring Changes in Social Communication in Chinese Autistic Preschoolers Using the Social Communication Scale (SCS)

Social communication, a defining characteristic of autistic individuals, poses challenges in capturing nuanced changes over interventions, especially within short timeframes. Existing outcome measures, primarily validated in Western contexts, raise uncertainties about their validity to culturally diverse groups, such as Chinese families. Addressing this gap, the Social Communication Scale (SCS) was developed to assess social communication behaviors in Chinese autistic preschoolers, providing a culturally sensitive and accessible measure. Results indicate that the SCS exhibits outstanding inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.90) and convergent validity with established measures, including ADOS-2, the language and communication subdomain of the MSEL, and VABS-3. Notably, the SCS displays high sensitivity to changes, demonstrated by its significant response to a 20-week parent-implemented social communication support program. As the first social communication scale developed for Chinese autistic preschoolers, the SCS emerges as a reliable, valid, and sensitive measure. This addresses unique challenges in autism assessment and intervention in China. To strengthen its broader applicability, future research should prioritize validating the SCS with larger and diverse samples across various regions, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of its value and limitations.