Sensitivity and Expected Change of Commonly Used Social Communication Measures in Longitudinal Research of Young Autistic Children.

Abstract readMeta-Analysis

In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Kyle SterrettSemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA. sterr031@umn.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7465-5032

Maria PizzanoSemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Social communication measures used to track change in autistic children have not undergone rigorous psychometric evaluation. There is little data on their expected change or sensitivity to change. Meta-analytic techniques were used to examine sensitivity to change and expected change over time and whether these are influenced by factors like children's age and the presence of intervention. Pooled effect sizes were generated within measures, rather than within broader constructs. Change over time was small to medium, although there was variability. Most outcomes were not sensitive to change over time. Change in some measures was influenced by child characteristics and methodological characteristics of included studies such as study quality and the method of scoring measures (e.g., using age-equivalents versus standard scores). Tests measuring similar constructs can vary in their expected change, and so care is needed when selecting them.

Indexed as

Autism Spectrum DisorderAutistic DisorderCommunicationSocial BehaviorChildChild, PreschoolHumansLongitudinal StudiesPsychometricsSensitivity and SpecificityAutism spectrum disorderLongitudinalMeta-analysisPsychometricsSocial-communication

Identifiers

PMID40347383

DOI10.1007/s10803-025-06863-3

PMCPMC13538225

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.