Social Communication Questionnaire

SCQ - Autism Spectrum Screening Tool

Instructions

Please answer each question with a YES or NO. Make sure to think about your answers based on your observations from the last three months.

This questionnaire is designed to screen for autism spectrum conditions. Please answer all questions as accurately as possible.

Question 1
Is she/he now able to talk using short phrases or sentences?
If no, skip to Question 8
Question 2
Do you have a to-and-fro "conversation" with her/him that involves taking turns or building on what you have said?
Question 3
Does she/he ever use odd phrases or say the same thing over and over in almost exactly the same way (either phrases that she/he hears other people use or ones that she/he makes up)?
Question 4
Does she/he ever use socially inappropriate questions or statements? For example, does she/he regularly ask personal questions or make personal comments at awkward times?
Question 5
Does she/he ever get her/his pronouns mixed up (e.g. saying you or she/he for I)?
Question 6
Does she/he ever use words that she/he seems to have invented or made up herself/himself; put things in odd, indirect ways; or use metaphorical ways of saying things (e.g. saying hot rain for steam)?
Question 7
Does she/he ever say the same thing over and over in exactly the same way or insist that you say the same thing over and over again?
Question 8
Does she/he ever have things that she/he seems to have to do in a very particular way or order or rituals that she/he insists that you go through?
Question 9
Does her/his facial expression usually seem appropriate to the particular situation, as far as you can tell?
Question 10
Does she/he ever use your hand like a tool or as if it were part of her/his own body (e.g. pointing with your finger, putting your hand on a doorknob to get you to open the door)?
Question 11
Does she/he ever have any interests that preoccupy her/him and might seem odd to other people (e.g. traffic lights, drainpipes, timetables)?
Question 12
Does she/he ever seem to be more interested in parts of a toy or an object (e.g. spinning the wheels of a car), rather than in using the objects as it was intended?
Question 13
Does she/he ever have any special interests that are unusual in their intensity but otherwise appropriate for her/his age and peer group (e.g. trains or dinosaurs)?
Question 14
Does she/he ever seem to be unusually interested in the sight, feel, sound, taste, or smell of things or people?
Question 15
Does she/he ever have any mannerisms or odd ways of moving her/his hands or fingers, such as flapping or moving her/his fingers in front of her/his eyes?
Question 16
Does she/he ever have any complicated movements of her/his whole body, such as spinning or repeatedly bouncing up and down?
Question 17
Does she/he ever injure herself/himself deliberately, such as biting her/his arm or banging her/his head?
Question 18
Does she/he ever have any objects (other than a soft toy or comfort blanket) that she/he has to carry around?
Question 19
Does she/he ever have any particular friends or a best friend?
Question 20
Does she/he ever talk to you just to be friendly (rather than to get something)?
Question 21
Does she/he ever spontaneously copy you (or other people) or what you are doing (such as vacuuming, gardening, or mending things)?
Question 22
Does she/he ever spontaneously point at things around her/him just to show you things (not because she/he wants them)?
Question 23
Does she/he ever use gestures, other than pointing or pulling your hand, to let you know what she/he wants?
Question 24
Does she/he nod her/his head to indicate yes?
Question 25
Does she/he shake her/his head to indicate no?
Question 26
Does she/he usually look at you directly in the face when doing things with you or talking with you?
Question 27
Does she/he smile back if someone smiles at her/him?
Question 28
Does she/he ever show you things that interest her/him to engage your attention?
Question 29
Does she/he ever seem to want you to watch her/him or pay attention to her/him?
Question 30
Does she/he ever seem to enjoy it when you join her/him in activities?
Question 31
Does she/he ever try to get your attention to her/his own activities?
Question 32
If you come into a room and start talking to her/him without calling her/his name, does she/he usually look up and pay attention to you?
Question 33
Does she/he ever respond positively when another child approaches her/him?
Question 34
If you come into a room and start talking to her/him without calling her/his name, does she/he usually look up and pay attention to you?
Question 35
Does she/he ever spontaneously try and help you and do things to be helpful?
Question 36
Does she/he seem interested in other children of approximately the same age who she/he does not know?
Question 37
Does she/he respond positively when another child approaches her/him?
Question 38
Does she/he play cooperatively in games that need some form of joining in with a group of other children, such as hide-and-seek or ball games?
Question 39
Does she/he play imaginative games with another child in such a way that you can tell that each child understands what the other is pretending?
Question 40
Does she/he play cooperatively in games that need some form of joining in with a group of other children, such as hide-and-seek or ball games?

SCQ Assessment Results

Total SCQ Score: 0
Maximum Possible Score: 40

Clinical Interpretation

Child:

Age: years

Assessment Date:

Informant:

Recommendations:

    Important:

    This questionnaire is a screening tool and should not be used as the sole basis for diagnosis. The SCQ is designed to identify individuals who may benefit from more comprehensive autism spectrum assessment. Results should be interpreted by qualified professionals in the context of other clinical information. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider for comprehensive evaluation and interpretation.