Use of the Children's Communication Checklist-2 in School-Aged Students with Autism: A Psychometric Analysis.
CCC-2 is a valid teacher-report tool for assessing pragmatic communication with autistic elementary students, but watch for bias on the structural-language subscale.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Sosnowski et al. (2022) asked teachers to fill out the Children’s Communication Checklist-2 for elementary students with autism.
They ran a survey to see if the checklist gives clear, reliable scores for this age group.
What they found
The checklist held together well. A three-factor model fit the data, meaning it measured pragmatic language, structural language, and general communication as expected.
One caution: the structural-language factor showed some bias, so scores there need a careful eye.
How this fits with other research
Barnard-Brak et al. (2016) warned that the older SCQ loses accuracy as kids get older. The new CCC-2 study fixes that gap by showing strong psychometrics right in the elementary years.
Shire et al. (2018) already proved teachers can rate autism communication skills in preschool. Sosnowski et al. (2022) extend that upward, showing the same rater group works for older students.
Sterrett et al. (2025) remind us most social-communication tools barely detect change over time. The CCC-2’s stable factor structure makes it a solid choice for tracking, not just screening.
Why it matters
You now have a teacher form that gives trustworthy pragmatic-language data for school-age students with autism. Use it during initial evaluations and annual reviews, but double-check the structural-language scale for possible cultural bias. Pair it with direct observation to set communication goals that match real classroom demands.
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Add the CCC-2 teacher form to your next elementary autism evaluation packet and inspect the structural-language score for any unexpected lows.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Measurement of social-pragmatic communication skills is essential for clinicians and researchers working with school-aged children on the autism spectrum. Many measures of these skills require time-intensive training and coding that is impractical for clinical assessment settings. Using a sample of 299 elementary school children (M = 8.6 years, sd = 1.7) with autism whose teachers completed the Children's Communication Checklist-2, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the CCC-2, a commonly used measure of social-pragmatic skills in order to assist researchers and clinicians in identifying the utility of this measure related to their assessment needs. Our results indicate strong psychometric properties for the CCC-2 with this population and a 3-factor model fit: Structural Language, Pragmatic Communication, and Pragmatic Social. Evidence of racial/ethnic bias was found for the structural language factor. Clinical recommendations are provided for using the CCC-2 with students with autism as reported by teachers.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2022 · doi:10.1044/1058-0360(2013/12-0164)