Child and Parent Factors That Influence Social Communication Questionnaire Scores: An Examination of an English- and Spanish-Speaking Sample

Background: The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) is a frequently used screening tool for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Although the SCQ has been translated into several languages, including Spanish, the performance of the Spanish SCQ and factors that could influence SCQ scores have not been examined.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine whether child behavioral problems and parent characteristics (e.g., maternal education, language) influence the SCQ scores in a community sample of English and Spanish speaking caregivers.

Methods: This study included 104 English- and 96 Spanish- speaking caregivers, their child, and their child’s teacher from a large suburban school district in Colorado. Caregivers completed the SCQ in English or Spanish and a brief demographics questionnaire; and the child’s teacher completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2), Teacher Rating Scale (TRS) to assess child’s behavioral problems.

Results: Simple and multiple linear regressions were used to determine how much variance in the SCQ is explained by maternal education or BASC-2 scores and whether language modified the relationship between maternal education or BASC-2 scores and SCQ scores. Whereas maternal education explained 9% (F(1, 93) = 9.69, p = .002) of the variance of the SCQ in the Spanish group, the BASC-2 explained 5% (F(2, 101) = 5.62, p = .020) of the variance of the SCQ in the English group.

The English and Spanish groups were combined to explore the association between maternal education, language, and SCQ scores. Model 1 included maternal education and language, and model 2 included the interaction term (maternal education X language). In model 1, maternal education and language explained 3% of the variance in SCQ (F(2, 195) = 3.45, p = .037). In model 2, language modified the relationship between the maternal education and SCQ scores (R² = .08, F(3, 194) = 3.98, p = .001). That is, higher maternal education predicted lower SCQ scores.

Similarly, to examine the association between BASC scores, language, and SCQ scores, model 1 included BASC-2 scores and language, and model 2 included the interaction term (BASC-2 scores X language). In model 1, BASC-2 scores and language explained 6% of the variance in the SCQ (F(2, 195) = 5.89, p = .003). In model 2, although language explained 6% of the variance in the SCQ (F(3, 194) = 4.05, p = .008), language did not modify the relationship BASC-2 scores and SCQ scores.  

Conclusions: Previous findings suggest that child and parental factors may affect ASD symptoms in school aged children. That is, maternal education and child behaviors were associated to SCQ scores in the English- and Spanish-sample, respectively. Learning about the performance of the SCQ in English and Spanish speaking families and factors that influence its scores can help clinicians and researchers decide when it is appropriate to use the SCQ and how to interpret SCQ scores in a diverse population.