The Social Communication Questionnaire in a sample of the general population of school-going children.
BACKGROUND
The social communication questionnaire (SCQ) for autistic spectrum disorder was previously validated in clinical populations.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the distribution of SCQ-scores in the general child population, and identify if traits from all domains of autism are present.


METHODS
The SCQ was completed by parents of children attending a mixed-gender primary school of 240 children.


RESULTS
Total SCQ scores ranged from 1 to 20, with a mode 1 and corrected mean of 3.89, SD = 2.77. SCQ items corresponding to all three domains of autism were found in the sample. Some items on the SCQ were answered as "autism-positive" for up to 41.8% of children in the general population sample.


CONCLUSIONS
The SCQ has a wide range in the general population, with traits from all three domains of autism. Some items in the SCQ do not discriminate children with autism from other school-going children.
Mulligan
A
A
The Department of Psychiatry, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, St James's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland. mulliga@tcd.ie
Richardson
T
T
Anney
R J L
RJ
Gill
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000175:diagnosis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires