A Chinese version of the communication complexity scale (CCS): psychometric evaluation in children with minimal verbal skills

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the translated Chinese version of the Communication Complexity Scale (C-CCS) in a Chinese sample of preschool-aged children with minimal verbal skills.

Methods

A total of 120 children with autism spectrum disorders or children with developmental delays aged 2 to 5 years with minimal verbal skills (i.e., produced less than 20 functional words) were recruited to complete the C-CCS. First, we tested the protocol with 20 children and shortened it based on their results. Second, the interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity for 100 participants were examined. C-CCS scores were compared with scores from the Chinese Communicative Development Inventories (CCDI) for concurrent validity.

Results

Ten C-CCS interactive scripts were administered to 100 participants. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) between independent observers were high. The ICCs for overall optimal scores, optimal BR scores and optimal JA scores were 0.978, 0.971 and 0.977 respectively. Agreement for scores within scripted opportunities and communication level were high-Kappa coefficients 0.869 and 1.000 respectively. The test-retest reliability was high (r = 0.911). A moderate correlation was found between the C-CCS and the CCDI (r = 0.401).

Conclusions

The results indicate that C-CCS could be used as a measurement tool in research and clinical practice to describe communication levels in children with minimal verbal skills in China.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• The Chinese version of the Communication Complexity Scale was developed through a rigorous cultural adaptation process.

• The evidence shows that the Chinese version of the Communication Complexity Scale is a reliable and valid tool for children with minimal verbal skills in China.

• The Chinese version of the Communication Complexity Scale can be used in research and clinical practice to assess the general level of social communication skills of Chinese children who mainly communicate using preverbal communication and develop intervention programs.

Keywords:

• Chinese
• CCS
• autism
• developmental delay
• minimal verbal skills
• psychometrics study

Acknowledgments

We are extremely appreciative of the children and their caregivers for their participation, as well as the education and service institutions for their support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by the Major Project of Humanities and Social Sciences of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (2023SKZD07), the National Key Research and Developmental Program of China (grant number 2022YFC2705201), the Shanghai Pujiang Program (2019PJC033), and China Scholarship Council Funding.