Table 1.
Summary data for the potential Social Communication Disorder (SCD) groups for selected items from the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) broken down by each DSM-5 criterion.
| DSM-5 Criteria for SCD | DD Group | DD Group | DD Group | DD Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Likely SCD | Possible SCD | Some SCD | No SCD | |
| (N=117) | (N=118) | (N=126) | (N=91) | |
| A. Persistent difficulties in the social use of verbal and nonverbal communication as manifested by all of the following: | ||||
| 1. Deficits in using communication for social purposes, such as greeting and sharing information, in a manner that is appropriate for social context. (ADI-R items 34,52,54,56,63) | Mean=4.74 | Mean=2.30 | Mean=1.39 | Mean=0.24 |
| Mode=3 | Mode=2 | Mode=1 | Mode=0 | |
| %≥1: 100 | %≥1: 95.8 | %≥1: 82.5 | %≥1: 20.9 | |
| 2. Impairment in the ability to change communication to match context or the needs of the listener, such as speaking differently in a classroom than on a playground, talking differently to a child than to an adult, and avoiding use of overly formal language. (ADI-R items 36,38,49,55,59) | Mean=4.77 | Mean=2.86 | Mean=1.76 | Mean=0.77 |
| Mode=4 | Mode=2 | Mode=1 | Mode=0 | |
| %≥1: 100 | %≥1: 95.8 | %≥1: 88.1 | %≥1: 54.9 | |
| 3. Difficulties following rules for conversation and storytelling, such as taking turns in conversation, rephrasing when m is understood, and knowing how to use verbal and nonverbal signals to regulate interaction. (ADI-R items 35,42,43,44,45,50,51,57,58) | Mean=8.44 | Mean=4.56 | Mean=2.56 | Mean=0.88 |
| Mode=8 | Mode=4 | Mode=3 | Mode=0 | |
| %≥1: 100 | %≥1: 100 | %≥1: 96.0 | %≥1: 51.6 | |
| 4. Difficulties understanding what is not explicitly stated (e.g., making inferences) and nonliteral or ambiguous meaning of language (e.g., idioms, humor, metaphors, multiple meanings that depend on the context for interpretation.) | Not available, as ADI-R items do not evaluate this criterion. | |||
| B. The deficits result in functional limitations in effective communication, social participation, social relationships, academic achievement, or occupational performance, individually or in combination. (ADI-R items 62,64,65) | Mean=2.57 | Mean=1.15 | Mean=0.89 | Mean=0.20 |
| Mode=4 | Mode=1 | Mode=1 | Mode=0 | |
| %≥1: 94.0 | %≥1: 70.3 | %≥1: 61.9 | %≥1: 18.7 | |
Footnote: ADI-R items have differential scoring but generally: 0= no or ra re use of a typical behavior, 1= some or occasional use of behavior, 2 and 3 = frequent or regular use of behavior