Measuring Change in the Communication Skills of Children With Austim Spectrum Disorder Using the Communication Complexity Scale.
The Communication Complexity Scale picks up early communication gains in minimally verbal kids with autism that standard language tests miss.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team tracked minimally verbal kids with autism before and after a communication program. They used two yardsticks: the new Communication Complexity Scale (CCS) and the old Mullen Expressive Language subtest.
Videos of play were coded for CCS points. Higher points mean longer, clearer turns like shifting eye gaze, pointing, or first words.
What they found
CCS scores and joint-attention initiations both rose after the program. The regular language test stayed flat, so it missed the growth that CCS caught.
How this fits with other research
Koenen et al. (2016) showed that back-and-forth play plus a speech device boosts turns and length. The 2020 paper gives us the ruler—CCS—to count those exact gains.
Grzadzinski et al. (2016) and Kitzerow et al. (2016) built a similar video tool called BOSCC. Both teams prove that short clips and clear codes can spot change better than old checklist tests.
Ferguson et al. (2025) used a micro-video code named ABCS and also saw quick jumps in eye contact and requests. CCS adds a step-by-step score for even smaller steps, so the two tools can work side-by-side.
Why it matters
If you run early-intervention sessions, swap the long language test for a five-minute CCS clip. You will see progress in kids who still score zero on standard scales, and you can adjust teaching moments the same day.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Changes in minimal verbal communication by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were measured with the Communication Complexity Scale (CCS) and other communication assessments. The CCS measures complexity of preverbal and beginning verbal communication used to communicate behavior regulation and joint attention. The purpose was to investigate if the CCS was responsive to changes associated with a behavioral intervention aimed at improving communication skills. Changes were detected with CCS scores, rates of initiating joint attention, and the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) Expressive Language subscale. Significant changes in CCS scores were also detected for a subgroup of participants who did not show significant changes on the MSEL Expressive Language subscale, demonstrating that CCS scores are sensitive to changes associated with a behavioral intervention.
American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2020 · doi:10.1352/1944-7558-125.6.481