Measuring Pragmatic Language in Speakers With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Comparing the Children's Communication Checklist-2 and the Test of Pragmatic Language

Purpose: To compare the Children's Communication Checklist-2 (CCC-2), a parent report instrument, with the Test of Pragmatic Language (TOPL), a test administered to the child, on the ability to identify pragmatic language impairment in speakers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who had age-appropriate structural language skills. Method: Sixteen rigorously diagnosed children with ASD were matched to 16 typically developing children on age, nonverbal IQ, and structural language skill. Both groups were given the TOPL, and their parents completed the CCC-2. Results: The CCC-2 identified 13 of the 16 children with ASD as pragmatically impaired, while the TOPL identified only 9. Neither test identified any of the children in the control group as having pragmatic language impairment. Conclusions: In these children with ASD, who displayed age-appropriate structural language skills, the CCC-2 identified pragmatic language impairment better than the TOPL. Clinically, this can be useful in documenting the presence of language dysfunction when traditional standardized language assessments would not reveal communication problems.