The influence of scale structure and sex on parental reports of children's social (pragmatic) communication symptoms. (3rd April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ash, Andrea C.; Redmond, Sean M.; Timler, Geralyn R.; Kean, Jacob
• Is Part Of: Clinical linguistics & phonetics. Volume 31:Number 4(2017:Apr.)
• Page Start: 293
• Page End: 312
• Publication Date: 2017-04-03
• Subjects: Assessment -- factor analysis -- language disorders -- sex differences -- social (pragmatic) communication disorder; Language disorders -- Periodicals; Applied linguistics -- Periodicals; Phonetics -- Periodicals; 616.855
• DOI: 10.1080/02699206.2016.1257655
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-9206

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The addition of social (pragmatic) communication disorder [S(P)CD] to the DSM-5 taxonomy has left clinicians and researchers searching for appropriate diagnostic measures. Factor analysis procedures examined the extent to which S(P)CD symptoms presented within the Children's Communication Checklist-Second Edition (CCC-2) represented a unique construct and whether these factors were influenced by children's sex. Parents of 208 children (males = 125 and females = 83) from a community-based sample completed the CCC-2. Two pragmatic scores from the CCC-2 were analysed as follows: the social interaction difference index (SIDI) and a pragmatic composite from the original CCC (PC-5). Factor analysis failed to find a unique factor structure for either pragmatic composite. Analyses uncovered different factor structures for the CCC-2 SIDI and PC-5 composites and for boys and girls. S(P)CD represents a complex combination of symptoms that are poorly differentiated from other language and socioemotional behavioural difficulties.