IntroductionThe Social Communication Questionnaire is used to identify children and young people
(CYP) who may require formal ASD assessment. However, there is a paucity of research on
its utility in Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services. This evaluation aimed to
determine the sensitivity and specificity of the Social Communication Questionnaire
(SCQ) in a UK, Midlands CAMHS service.MethodForty young people (mean age 13.75 years) were screened using the caregiver reported
SCQ before completing ‘gold standard’ assessment.ResultsThe SCQ had a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 25.7%. ROC curve analysis
indicated low diagnostic accuracy. Differences in predictive accuracy of SCQ and
diagnostic standard were statistically significant (p< 0.0001).ConclusionThis evaluation builds on previous research suggesting that the SCQ may not be an
efficient screening tool in CAMHS settings.