Table 1.
Likelihood ratios of individual Social Communication Questionnaire itemsa
| Item | Domain | Item content | No ASD group (n = 58 135) | Children with ASD without phrase speech (n = 86) | Children with ASD with phrase speech (n = 294) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive, % | Positive, % | Likelihood ratio | Positive, % | Likelihood ratio | |||
| 1 | C | No phrase speech | 0.9 | 100.0 | 113.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2 | C | No conversation to and from | 2.9 | 90.6 | 31.4 | 18.6 | 6.4 |
| 3 | C | Echolalia | 61.7 | 25.3 | 0.4 | 69.2 | 1.1 |
| 4 | C | Inappropriate questions | 38.2 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 27.1 | 0.7 |
| 5 | C | Pronoun reversal | 37.6 | 18.1 | 0.5 | 45.5 | 1.2 |
| 6 | C | Neologisms | 29.3 | 19.0 | 0.7 | 31.6 | 1.1 |
| 7 | R | Verbal rituals | 35.1 | 32.1 | 0.9 | 46.2 | 1.3 |
| 8 | R | Compulsions and rituals | 34.3 | 23.5 | 0.7 | 40.1 | 1.2 |
| 9 | S | Inappropriate facial expressions | 0.3 | 10.6 | 33.9 | 3.1 | 9.8 |
| 10 | S | Use of other's body to communicate | 39.5 | 72.9 | 1.8 | 72.9 | 1.8 |
| 11 | R | Unusual preoccupations | 17.4 | 54.1 | 3.1 | 54.1 | 3.1 |
| 12 | R | Repetitive use of objects | 34.1 | 68.2 | 2.0 | 51.2 | 1.5 |
| 13 | R | Circumscribed interests | 21.6 | 47.1 | 2.2 | 38.8 | 1.8 |
| 14 | R | Unusual sensory interests | 8.2 | 27.4 | 3.3 | 27.4 | 3.3 |
| 15 | R | Hand and finger mannerisms | 3.8 | 27.1 | 7.1 | 9.6 | 2.5 |
| 16 | R | Complex body mannerisms | 76.1 | 47.7 | 0.6 | 69.2 | 0.9 |
| 17 | — | Self-injury | 7.3 | 25.6 | 3.5 | 14.6 | 2.0 |
| 18 | — | Unusual attachment to objects | 25.5 | 30.6 | 1.2 | 31.4 | 1.2 |
| 19 | S | No particular friends/best friend | 38.7 | 83.3 | 2.2 | 55.2 | 1.4 |
| 20 | C | No social chat | 3.1 | 78.8 | 25.1 | 12.8 | 4.1 |
| 21 | C | No imitation | 5.3 | 40.0 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 1.4 |
| 22 | C | No pointing to express interest | 3.5 | 42.4 | 12.0 | 6.2 | 1.8 |
| 23 | C | No gestures to request objects | 27.1 | 43.5 | 1.6 | 38.7 | 1.4 |
| 24 | C | No nodding to indicate ‘yes’ | 7.8 | 67.1 | 8.5 | 24.3 | 3.1 |
| 25 | C | No head shaking to indicate ‘no’ | 11.9 | 49.4 | 4.1 | 25.3 | 2.1 |
| 26 | S | Usually no eye gaze | 1.7 | 26.5 | 15.3 | 6.6 | 3.8 |
| 27 | S | No social smiling | 1.0 | 10.6 | 11.1 | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| 28 | S | No showing and directing attention | 1.1 | 20.0 | 18.0 | 2.4 | 2.2 |
| 29 | S | No offering to share | 2.7 | 39.5 | 14.9 | 9.8 | 3.7 |
| 30 | S | No seeking to share enjoyment | 0.9 | 19.8 | 23.3 | 3.8 | 4.4 |
| 31 | S | No offering of comfort | 2.8 | 42.4 | 15.1 | 10.7 | 3.8 |
| 32 | S | Lack of normal social overtures | 3.6 | 12.9 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 1.0 |
| 33 | S | Lack of normal range of facial expressions | 0.1 | 16.5 | 133.8 | 2.1 | 16.9 |
| 34 | C | No imaginative social play | 4.3 | 37.2 | 8.6 | 13.0 | 3.0 |
| 35 | C | No imaginative play | 4.7 | 61.6 | 13.1 | 20.5 | 4.4 |
| 36 | S | No interest in other children | 2.5 | 34.1 | 13.7 | 11.1 | 4.4 |
| 37 | S | No positive response to other children | 2.5 | 16.7 | 6.7 | 10.4 | 4.2 |
| 38 | — | Usually no attention to voice | 2.7 | 34.1 | 12.5 | 8.6 | 3.1 |
| 39 | S | No imaginative play with peers | 15.7 | 89.5 | 5.7 | 45.9 | 2.9 |
| 40 | S | No group play | 8.1 | 69.8 | 8.6 | 27.0 | 3.3 |
ASD, autism spectrum disorder; R, repetitive and restricted behaviour; C, communication; S, social interaction.
a.
Includes all responders to the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort 36-month questionnaire (n = 58 520), with 385 individuals with ASD: 86 without phrase speech at 36 months, 294 with phrase speech at 36 months and 5 with missing information about phrase speech.