Examining the relationship between social communication on the ADOS and real-world reciprocal social communication in children with ASD

Abstract

Background While many children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) communicate better with adults than peers, diagnostic measures are given by adult examiners. These measures may not accurately capture the deficits that children with ASD have in communicating with their peers. Method This study examined the ability of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) Social Communication scale to predict reciprocal communication in children with ASD during natural play with peers using the Peer Interaction Paradigm (PIP). Thirty participants with ASD were given the ADOS and then participated in the PIP, after which their behavior was analyzed. Results Using linear regression, we found that Social Communication was the primary significant predictor for reciprocal communication during play, and that reciprocal communication was not predicted by Verbal IQ or the Restrictive and Repetitive Behaviors scale on the ADOS. Conclusions The findings suggest that the ADOS measures naturally-occurring social communication patterns with peers and can be used to inform treatment options for children with ASD based on an accurate measure of their level of impairment in social communication.

Interactive Brain Activity: Review and Progress on EEG-Based Hyperscanning in Social Interactions

“…Based on these research findings, researchers can ensure the corresponding brain regions to social cognitive impairment in order to provide efficient treatment. For example, impairment of reciprocal social interactions is regarded as a key sign of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Qualls and Corbett, 2017 ). However, the etiology of ASD remains largely unknown.…”

Different associations between intelligence and social cognition in children with and without autism spectrum disorders

“…A few studies have examined the association between intelligence and social communication or motivation. Those studies examined ASD populations and found significant correlation between intelligence and social communication [ 34 – 36 ]. Qualls et al examined adolescents with ASD and reported positive association between scores of the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ; [ 37 ]) and IQ [ 34 ].…”

“…Those studies examined ASD populations and found significant correlation between intelligence and social communication [ 34 – 36 ]. Qualls et al examined adolescents with ASD and reported positive association between scores of the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ; [ 37 ]) and IQ [ 34 ]. To assess a general population, one study conducted with more than 5000 participants [ 38 ] revealed that higher verbal IQ has a significant association with better social communication, as measured by Social Communication Disorders Checklist and Children’s Communication Checklist, only in female participants.…”

Social Skills Intervention Participation and Associated Improvements in Executive Function Performance

“…Prominently discussed constructs underlying the social challenges for individuals with autism include emotion recognition [ 10 , 11 ], theory of mind [ 12 , 13 ], and executive functioning [ 14 , 15 ]. Other contributing constructs include social motivation [ 16 , 17 ], social reciprocity [ 18 ], and social problem solving [ 19 , 20 ]. Importantly, these constructs are not orthogonal; rather, they appear to be interrelated components to an integrated whole (for brief review, see [ 21 ]).…”