Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Social Communication Disorder Screener

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder (SPCD) lacks validated screening tools.
• Existing diagnostic criteria in DSM-5 require objective measures for accurate identification.
• Early identification is crucial for timely intervention and support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Social Communication Disorder Screener (SCDS).
• To examine the internal consistency and factor structure of the SCDS.
• To determine if the SCDS can reliably assess communication difficulties in children.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) of the 14-item parent-report SCDS.
• Sample of 500 parents of children aged 5-18, representative of the U.S. census.
• Analysis of internal consistency and factor structure based on DSM-5 criteria for SPCD.

Main Results:

• A correlated three-factor solution emerged from the EFA.
• The SCDS demonstrated good internal consistency reliability.
• The findings support a three-subscale structure and a total composite score for overall communication.

Conclusions:

• The SCDS is a psychometrically sound measure for screening SPCD in children.
• The tool provides a reliable composite score and subscales for assessing communication.
• Results support the clinical utility and research application of the SCDS for SPCD.