Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Validation of the Communication Complexity Scale (CCS) in Minimally Verbal Turkish Children
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| Title: | Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Validation of the Communication Complexity Scale (CCS) in Minimally Verbal Turkish Children |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Müge Baykan (ORCID |
| Source: | International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders. 2026 61(3). |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 8 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Media Adaptation, Translation, Turkish, Psychometrics, Test Reliability, Test Validity, Preschool Children, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Developmental Delays, Delayed Speech, Nonverbal Ability, Cultural Relevance, Language Skills, Measures (Individuals), Language Tests |
| Geographic Terms: | Turkey |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | MacArthur Bates Communicative Development Inventories, Test of Early Language Development |
| DOI: | 10.1111/1460-6984.70250 |
| ISSN: | 1368-2822 1460-6984 |
| Abstract: | Objective: This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and psychometrically validate the Turkish version of the Communication Complexity Scale (CCS) for minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental delay (DD). Methods: A total of 130 children aged 24-60 months (diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria and recruited from developmental podiatric clinics) with fewer than 20 functional words (as verified through caregiver report and direct clinical observation) completed CCS sessions that were video-recorded and independently coded. Reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), Cohen's kappa, and test-retest correlations. Concurrent validity was examined through correlations with the Turkish versions of the Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) and the Test of Early Language Development (TELD). Construct validity was tested with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Known-groups validity compared Behaviour Regulation (BR) and Joint Attention (JA) scores between ASD and DD groups. Results: Most children demonstrated intentional non-symbolic communication, confirming the scale's sensitivity to minimally verbal behaviours. Inter-rater reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.86-0.91), and test-retest stability was strong (r = 0.88-0.93). CCS scores showed moderate correlations with standardized language measures (r = 0.39-0.42). CFA supported a one-factor model (RMSEA = 0.06; CFI = 0.93). Children with ASD had higher BR scores, whereas children with DD showed higher JA scores. Conclusion: The Turkish CCS is a reliable, valid, and culturally appropriate tool for assessing communication complexity in minimally verbal children. Its sensitivity to non-symbolic and emerging symbolic behaviours support its use in clinical evaluation, individualized intervention planning, and cross-cultural research. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1506916 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Objective: This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and psychometrically validate the Turkish version of the Communication Complexity Scale (CCS) for minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental delay (DD). Methods: A total of 130 children aged 24-60 months (diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria and recruited from developmental podiatric clinics) with fewer than 20 functional words (as verified through caregiver report and direct clinical observation) completed CCS sessions that were video-recorded and independently coded. Reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), Cohen's kappa, and test-retest correlations. Concurrent validity was examined through correlations with the Turkish versions of the Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) and the Test of Early Language Development (TELD). Construct validity was tested with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Known-groups validity compared Behaviour Regulation (BR) and Joint Attention (JA) scores between ASD and DD groups. Results: Most children demonstrated intentional non-symbolic communication, confirming the scale's sensitivity to minimally verbal behaviours. Inter-rater reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.86-0.91), and test-retest stability was strong (r = 0.88-0.93). CCS scores showed moderate correlations with standardized language measures (r = 0.39-0.42). CFA supported a one-factor model (RMSEA = 0.06; CFI = 0.93). Children with ASD had higher BR scores, whereas children with DD showed higher JA scores. Conclusion: The Turkish CCS is a reliable, valid, and culturally appropriate tool for assessing communication complexity in minimally verbal children. Its sensitivity to non-symbolic and emerging symbolic behaviours support its use in clinical evaluation, individualized intervention planning, and cross-cultural research. |
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| ISSN: | 1368-2822 1460-6984 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/1460-6984.70250 |
