The Validity and Reliability of The Social Communication Questionnaire-Turkish Form in Autistics Aged 4-18 Years

Objective: The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) is a valid and reliable 40-item scale used to assess pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs). The aim of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of the SCQ-Turkish Form (SCQ-TF). Materials and Methods: The study included 100 children and adolescents aged 4-18 years; 50 were diagnosed as PDD and 50 were diagnosed with intellectual disability (ID) based on DSM-IV-TR criteria. The consistency, test-retest reliability, content validity, and discriminant validity of SCQTF for the groups in the study sample were evaluated. SCQ-TF was compared to the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Autism Behavioural Checklist (ABC), and Clinical Global Impression-Severity of Illness (CGI-SI). The most appropriate SCQ-TF cut-off point was determined via ROC analysis. Results: The 4-factor structure of SCQ-TF accounted for 43.0% of the observed total variance. Correlations between SCQ-TF and the other measures were significant. The Cronbach's alpha value for the SCQ-TF total score was 0.80. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) varied between 0.87 and 0.96, and the cut-off point was 15. Conclusion: The findings show that SCQ-TF is valid and reliable for use in Turkey in those aged 4-18 years.