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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Assessment of Social Interaction Behaviors
Published on: February 25, 2011
Brief Report: Evaluating the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC) Scores Between Interaction
Caitlin M Grieve1,2, Annelies de Bildt3,4, Michelle I J Snijder5
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. c.m.grieve@umcg.nl.
Purpose:
This study examined whether the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC) yields consistent scores when administered by parents versus professionals within the same home environment.
Method:
Forty-one toddlers (73% male; mean age 28.2 months) at elevated likelihood for autism spectrum disorder completed two BOSCC sessions at home: one parent-led and one professional-led, following identical procedures. The domains, Social Communication (SC), Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours (RRB), and Other Abnormal Behaviours (OAB), were scored by independent coders. Scores were compared using paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and consistency was assessed with correlations.
Results:
No significant differences were observed between parent- and professional-led sessions for Total BOSCC scores or the SC, RRB, or OAB domains (all p > .19; Cohen's d < 0.15). Correlations were strong for Total (ρ = 0.90), SC (ρ = 0.83), and RRB (r = .78) scores, indicating high consistency. OAB scores exhibited only moderate correlation (ρ = 0.33), which became non-significant following outlier exclusion.
Conclusions:
BOSCC reliably captures core autism-related behaviours (SC and RRB) irrespective of whether the session is led by a parent or a professional. Parent-led administration in the home is a valid and scalable approach for naturalistic behavioural monitoring and intervention assessment.
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