Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ)

The SCQ consists of forty yes-or-no questions, which a parent can complete in around ten minutes. It is brief and easy to understand, yet provides valuable information on a child’s body movements, use of language or gestures, and style of interacting. There are two versions of the SCQ.

Usually, the SCQ is used as a screening instrument to help identify which children may have an autism spectrum disorder. It is not meant to provide a detailed diagnosis, but to indicate whether a child needs a more careful and in-depth evaluation.

Domains Assessed: Autism Spectrum, Social Interaction

Note: The SCQ is administered to parents of participants ages 5-17.

References: Chandler, S., Charman, T., Baird, G., et al (2007). Validation of the Social Communication Questionnaire in a population cohort of children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 46, 1324 -1332.

Time to Complete: 10 minutes

A complete list of assessments can be found here.