Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Research Articles

Assessing early language and communication development: An e-health approach using online applications

The early assessment of language and communication abilities is critical to meet the needs and challenges of inclusive societies. We developed a novel e-health approach whereby well-known assessment tools are available through online applications that allow a quick (computer, tablet, smartphone) on-screen assessment, making health monitoring and intervention in this field highly flexible and possible in a rich variety of contexts and users, including practitioners, educators, researchers, and caregivers. The app versions of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory Short forms (CDI) and the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile (CSBS-DPTM) Infant-Toddler Checklist offer automatic scoring and percentile profiles for the individual infant and toddler. The easy, quick, decentralized access to health monitoring in the sensitive areas of cognitive and language development fosters the early identification of risk for language and communication impairments, early intervention and diagnosis, with individual, social and economic benefits.

Reliability and validity of the Polish version of Communication and Symbolic Behaviour Scales-Developmental Profile - Infant-Toddler Checklist

BackgroundEarly diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders allows to start a therapy tailored to the child - the earlier it happens, the better the results. This study marked a preliminary attempt to prepare culturally and linguistically adapted Polish version of the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales-Developmental Profile – Infant-Toddler Checklist (CSBS-DP ITC). MethodThe study was conducted among 1471 Polish parents of children from the general population aged 6 to 24 months, 490 of them participated in the follow-up. An additional 122 pairs of parents completed the questionnaire to determine reliability using the inter-rater method. The collected data were statistically processed to calculate the reliability and validity of the Polish version of the CSBS-DP ITC questionnaire. ResultsThe results indicated a very good fit of the one-factor and three-factor models in confirmatory factor analysis. Both one-factor and three-factor model showed satisfactory fit in both sex subsamples. The total score of CSBS-DP ITC demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency, Cronbach's α = .92 and McDonald’s ω = .92. In test-retest all the correlation coefficients between the first and second measurements were above.70, proving a satisfactory level of stability. ConclusionsThe Polish version of the CSBS-DP-ITC is a reliable tool for the early screening of autism spectrum disorder, but further studies on sensitivity and specificity are essential.

Early Communication Skills Training for Infants and Toddlers with Cochlear ImplantEarly Communication Skills Training for Infants and Toddlers with Cochlear Implant

Background and Aim: Early communication skills in children with hearing loss depend on the quantity and quality of information received from parents. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of early communication skills training in developing the communication skills of infants and toddlers with cochlear implants. Methods: To this end, 54 infants and toddlers at the age range of 8–24 months with sever to profound hearing loss fitted by Cochlear Implant (CI) with their mothers participated in this study. The experimental and wait list control groups had auditory verbal therapy as the main intervention after the CI; however, the experimental group received a systematic early communication skills program. All subjects were assessed using the Communication and Symbolic Behaviour Scales Developmental Profile as the pre-and post-tests. Results: Multivariate analysis of covariance indicated the effect of systematic training on the early communication development of subjects in intervention group. Conclusion: Teaching the parents how to interact with infants and toddlers with CI could improve the communication skills of the infants and therefore it’s recommended to be included in the auditory rehabilitation programs.

2 Infant Imitation: Detecting Risk in the First Year with PediaTrac™

Objective:Imitation has pervasive associations with social and communicative development. However, few methods have been developed to measure this construct in typically developing infants, and even less is available for at-risk populations, such as infants born preterm. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a particular risk of premature birth, is associated with atypical imitation and social communication. Although imitation emerges in infancy, most current screening and diagnostic tools for ASD cannot be utilized prior to 12 months. The present study aimed to develop and validate a caregiver-report measure of infant imitation, characterize imitation profiles at 4, 6, and 9 months in term and preterm infants, and explore the relationship between imitation and scores on an ASD screening questionnaire at 18 months.Participants and Methods:Participants (N = 571) were recruited from a larger multi-site study of PediaTrac™ v3.0, a web-based tool for monitoring and tracking infant development, and were surveyed longitudinally at birth, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months. Participants completed the online PediaTrac™ survey and several reliable and validated questionnaires via pen-and-paper format. For the purposes of this study, only the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (3rd ed.; ASQ-3), Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales-Developmental Profile (CSBS-DP), Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ), and the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers - Revised with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/F) were examined. The following hypotheses were tested: (1) proposed imitation items will represent a unitary latent construct, for which convergent and discriminant validity will be demonstrated, (2) there will be measurement invariance between term status groups at each assessment period, (3) preterm infants will obtain lower caregiver-reported imitation scores compared to term infants, and (4) imitation abilities at the assessment period with the most robust imitation factor will predict M-CHAT-R/F scores at 18 months.Results:Distinct imitation factors at 4, 6, and 9 months were modeled with confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses. Relationships between the factors and established measures of infant communication (CSBS; ASQ) and sleep (BISQ) revealed convergent and discriminant validity, respectively. Strict measurement invariance was demonstrated for the 4- and 9-month factors, and metric invariance for the 6-month measure. Full term infants scored higher on imitation at 9 months, though variance in this outcome was related to term status differences in sensorimotor skills. Lastly, the 9-month imitation factor, coupled with 6-month sensorimotor skills, predicted 18-month ASD risk over and above gestational age.Conclusions:This study provides support for the assessment of infant imitation, utilizing imitation to detect risk in preterm infants, and extending the age of identification for ASD risk into the first year. PediaTrac™ imitation, in combination with the PediaTrac™ sensorimotor domain, may be useful in detecting developmental risk, and specifically risk for ASD, within the first year, leading to earlier initiation of intervention. Further, with its minimal completion time and ease of dissemination through digital platforms, this measure can expand access to care and improve long-term outcomes for children and families.

Validity and Internal Consistency of the Indonesian-Translated Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile to Screen Language Delay in Children Aged 6–24 Months

The Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile (CSBS DP) is a valid and reliable screening tool for detecting language delay in children. However, it has not been translated into the Indonesian language. This study aimed to determine the validity and internal consistency of the Indonesian-translated CSBS DP as a screening tool for language delay in children aged 6–24 months. A cross-sectional study was carried out at the Growth and Development Clinic, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, in 3 stages: (1) transcultural translation and adaptation of the measure into the Indonesian language; (2) determination of the internal consistency of the measure; and (3) determination of the concurrent validity of the measure by comparing CSBS DP with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition (BSID-III) language scale on 149 caregivers–children dyads. We found good concurrent validity (r > .3) and good internal consistency with Cronbach's α values of 0.876–0.896. The concurrent validity of the Indonesian-translated questionnaire showed a sensitivity of 71.43% and a specificity of 81.48%. CSBS DP Indonesian-translated questionnaire is a valid and reliable screening test for language delay in children aged 6–24 months.

What kind of information do early parental report instruments provide on language ability at 3;6 when used at 2;0? A longitudinal comparison study.

Various parental report instruments are available for assessing children's language skills at the end of the second year. However, comparison studies on their usability are lacking, and it is also open to question what kind of information the instruments provide when used in a parallel manner. This longitudinal study investigated which of the available three parental report instruments, when used at 2;0 (year;month), provides the most representative information on language development at 3;6. In addition, since most of the parental report instruments available focus specifically on expressive language, the role of receptive language ability was also investigated when analyzing the explanatory value of parental report instruments. The participants were 68 typically developing children. At 2;0, language skills were measured using the following measures: the Infant-Toddler Checklist of the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile (ITC), the Short Form and Long Form versions of the Finnish Communicative Development Inventories (FinCDI-SF, FinCDI-LF), and the Reynell Developmental Language Scales III (RDLS). The outcome measures were receptive/expressive/ general language ability at 3;6 measured using RDLS. The results of parental report instruments were significantly and positively associated with language ability at 3;6. The correlation between the combined value of ITC and FinCDI-SF and later language ability was stronger than correlations for each measure separately. The regression models with the results of parental report instruments as predictors explained 18-22% (p < 0.00) of the variability in the total RDLS score. However, when receptive language ability at 2;0 was included in the models as a predictor, R2 increased considerably (46-48%, p < 0.00). The results adduce the usability of parental report measures along with the importance of measuring receptive language skills at 2 years of age. In summary, this study provides important insights into the clinical evaluation of early language ability.

Oral Sensory Issues with Feeding and Communication Skills in Autistic Children

ObjectivesOral sensory, communication, and feeding issues are frequently observed to co-occur in autistic children. The study attempted to explore the association between oral sensory deficits, feeding, and communication deficits in autistic children.MethodsBehavioral Pediatric Feeding Assessment Scale (BPFAS), Child Sensory Profile 2 (SP-2), and Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Infant/Toddler Checklist (CSBS-DP) were administered to forty autistic children in the age range of 2.5-7 years. The correlation among the three domains was determined using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient.ResultsA low negative correlation was found between SP-2 scores and CSBS-DP (r = −0.24, p = 0.13), indicating that the higher the oral sensory scores, the poorer the communication skills. SP-2 and BPFAS scores had a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.47, p = 0.002) i.e., higher scores in SP-2 were associated with higher scores in feeding, indicating that oral sensory issues were directly related to the feeding issues.ConclusionsThe overall findings indicated that the presence of oral sensory issues is associated with feeding and communication deficits in autistic children.Study RegistrationClinical Trial Registry of India CTRI/2020/07/02681

Trofinetide for the treatment of Rett syndrome: a randomized phase 3 study

Rett syndrome is a rare, genetic neurodevelopmental disorder. Trofinetide is a synthetic analog of glycine–proline–glutamate, the N-terminal tripeptide of the insulin-like growth factor 1 protein, and has demonstrated clinical benefit in phase 2 studies in Rett syndrome. In this phase 3 study (https://clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT04181723), females with Rett syndrome received twice-daily oral trofinetide (n = 93) or placebo (n = 94) for 12 weeks. For the coprimary efficacy endpoints, least squares mean (LSM) change from baseline to week 12 in the Rett Syndrome Behaviour Questionnaire for trofinetide versus placebo was −4.9 versus −1.7 (P = 0.0175; Cohen’s d effect size, 0.37), and LSM Clinical Global Impression–Improvement at week 12 was 3.5 versus 3.8 (P = 0.0030; effect size, 0.47). For the key secondary efficacy endpoint, LSM change from baseline to week 12 in the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Infant–Toddler Checklist Social Composite score was −0.1 versus −1.1 (P = 0.0064; effect size, 0.43). Common treatment-emergent adverse events included diarrhea (80.6% for trofinetide versus 19.1% for placebo), which was mostly mild to moderate in severity. Significant improvement for trofinetide compared with placebo was observed for the coprimary efficacy endpoints, suggesting that trofinetide provides benefit in treating the core symptoms of Rett syndrome.

Validating the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales–Developmental Profile Infant–Toddler Checklist (CSBS–DP ITC) Beyond Infancy in the CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder

CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD) results in early-onset epilepsy and lifelong cognitive and motor impairments. With no validated measure for communication in CDD, this study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales-Developmental Profile Infant Toddler Checklist (CSBS–DP ITC). Caregivers (n = 150; affected individuals aged 1–29 years) completed the CSBS-DP ITC. Distribution of scores indicated a floor effect. There was poor divergent validity for the three-factor model but goodness of fit and convergent validity data were satisfactory for the one-factor model. Individuals with poorer overall functional abilities scored lower on the CSBS-DP ITC. Test–retest reliability was excellent. The floor effect could explain the very high reliability, suggesting problems as a sensitive outcome measure in clinical trials for CDD.

Implementing the Get SET Early Model in a Community Setting to Lower the Age of ASD Diagnosis.

The objective of this study was to implement a validated, university-based early detection program, the Get SET Early model, in a community-based setting. Get SET was developed to improve Screening, Evaluation, and Treatment referral practices. Specifically, its purpose was to lower the age of diagnosis and enable toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to begin treatment by 36 months. One hundred nine pediatric health care providers were recruited to administer the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Infant-Toddler Checklist at 12-month, 18-month, and 24-month well-baby visits and referred toddlers whose scores indicated the need for a developmental evaluation. Licensed psychologists were trained to provide diagnostic evaluations to toddlers as young as 12 months. Mean age of diagnosis was compared with current population rates. In 4 years, 45,504 screens were administered at well-baby visits, and 648 children were evaluated at least 1 time. The overall median age for ASD diagnosis was 22 months, which is significantly lower than the median age reported by the CDC (57 months). For children screened at 12 months, the age of first diagnosis was significantly lower at 15 months. Of the 350 children who completed at least 1 follow-up evaluation, 323 were diagnosed with ASD or another delay, and 239 (74%) were enrolled in a treatment program. Toddlers with ASD were diagnosed nearly 3 years earlier than the most recent CDC report, which allowed children to start a treatment program by 36 months. Overall, Get SET Early was an effective strategy for improving the current approach to screening, evaluation, and treatment. Efforts to demonstrate sustainability are underway.

&lt;p&gt;Promoting Communication for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Family-centered Music Therapy Intervention&lt;/p&gt;

Introduction. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a continuum of traits that may negatively affect social and emotional competencies of individuals, including challenges in their engagement abilities, possible limitations in reciprocal interactions, and inflexibility in initiating and sustaining communication. Such challenges may affect language development and speech acquisition. Considering their importance, this study explored the impact of a family-centered, music therapy intervention to promote preverbal and verbal communication skills of young children with ASD during parent–child, music engagement episodes. Method. A mixed-methods design was implemented to gather data on the children’s preverbal and verbal communication abilities (pre-and-post intervention data collection) and on each dyad’s musical interactions during a 16-week music therapy intervention. Quantitative outcome measures included children’s scores on the Pragmatics Profile of Everyday Communication Skills (PPECS) and the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile (CSBSDP), to assess children’s communication, expressive speech, and symbolic behavior over time. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, logs, and journaling. Results. Reports from the families corroborate with quantitative results regarding changes on the children’s communication abilities after the intervention. Discussion and Conclusion. Collectively, the current study provides evidence on the potential of using music therapy interventions within a family-centered approach to enhance young children’s preverbal and verbal communication skills.

Effects of Play in an Upright Position on Intra-Individual Variability of Gross Motor and Language Development in Institutionalized Infants.

(1) Objective: To investigate the effects of play in an upright position on intra-individual variability and to examine the relationship between the variability of gross motor and language development in institutionalized infants aged six to ten months. (2) Methods: Thirty infants were conveniently enrolled in either the experimental or control groups. The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile (CSBS-DP) Infant/Toddler Checklist were tested pre and post each monthly intervention for three months. Sixteen infants in the experimental group received an additional program of 45 min play in an upright position three times a week for a 3-month period. (3) Results: There were significant between-group differences in intra-individual variability of the AIMS percentiles (p-value = 0.042). In addition, there was a significant difference in the intra-individual variability of the language percentile between groups (p-value = 0.009). The intra-individual variability of gross motor development was significantly correlated (rs = 0.541; p = 0.03) with language development. (4) Conclusions: Play in an upright position could be applied to improve intra-individual variability in gross motor and language development percentiles in institutionalized infants.

The Study of Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scale Developmental Profile /Infant Toddler Checklist: An Application of Confirmatory Factor Analysis with Skew Distribution

Introduction: The importance of early detection and intervention of communication and language problems has increased the need for appropriate tools in this area. This study with aim to evaluating the psychometric properties of Persian version of the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile (CSBS DP) infant/ toddler questionnaire has been done.&#x0D; Methods: In a cross-sectional study the Persian version of the CSBS DP was submitted to 157 participants randomly drawn from 8 kindergartens of Tehran city (Iran) in year 2020. Internal consistency, reliability, concurrent validity, and construct validity were evaluated. Concurrent validity was explored with total score of two questionnaires (Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) and MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI)).&#x0D; Results: The correlation between CSBS DP questionnaire with ASQ-3 and CDI were 0.88 and 0.64 respectively. The test-re-test reliability and internal consistency were 0.78 and 0.77 respectively. The confirmatory factor analysis showed adequate construct validity of the Persian version of the CSBS DP questionnaire. RMSEA, GFI and AGFI were &lt;0.000, &gt;0.9 and &gt;0.9 respectively; moreover, other indexes were satisfactory.&#x0D; Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the validity and reliability of Persian version of CSBS DP questioner is approved and these tools can be used for early detection of evaluating language problems in in infant toddler.

Early developmental concerns in 22q11.2 deletion and duplication carriers

Background22q11.2 deletions (22qDEL) and duplications (22qDUP) are among the most common copy number variants (CNVs) associated with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Little is known about the earliest developmental features of 22q11.2 CNVs and whether developmental delays are detected in early childhood. This study primarily aimed to assess general development and social communication in 22q11.2 CNV carriers age 5 and under. MethodParticipants included parents of children age 5 and under with a reported genetic diagnosis of 22qDEL (N = 63) or 22qDUP (N = 30). In addition to questions addressing clinical and intervention information, two standardized parent questionnaires—the Ages & Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3) and the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Infant/Toddler Checklist (ITC)—screened for developmental and social communication delays, respectively. ResultsDevelopmental delay and speech and/or language delay were the most commonly reported NDD diagnoses among young 22q11.2 CNV carriers, with prevalences at 19% and 17%, respectively. In the vast majority (91%) of 22q11.2 CNV carriers, parents reported concerns in at least one developmental domain, with 71% reporting global developmental concerns. 70% of parents of 22q11.2 CNV carriers age 2 and under also reported social communication concerns. ConclusionsThe high prevalence of reported developmental concerns in both CNV groups reinforces the need for close monitoring of early neurodevelopment in 22q11.2 CNV carriers with regard to both developmental delays and autism risk.

Detection of Early Warning Signs in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review

Due to the exponential increase of autism spectrum disorders’ prevalence in Western countries, it is necessary to improve early detection and intervention to enhance developmental milestones. This systematic review identified the most effective screening instrument, which can be used at an early age and which identifies the maximum number of autism cases. We identified several instruments with adequate predictive properties—the Autism Parent Screen for Infants (APSI), Battelle Development Inventory, second edition (BDI-2); Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA); First Year Inventory (FYI); Infant-Toddler Checklist/Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile (ITC/CSBS-DP); Program of Research and Studies on AUTISM (PREAUT-Grid); Checklist for Early Signs of Developmental Disorders (CESDD); Social Attention and Communication Study (SACS); and the Screening Tool for Autism in Toddlers and Young Children (STAT)—that can be applied from 12 months of age in Western countries. The ITC/CSBS-DP has been proposed for universal screening from 12 months of age onwards, complemented by the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised/Revised with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/F), which can be used from 15 months of age onwards. This strategy could improve early detection in at-risk children within the current health system, thus allowing for early intervention.

Early vocabulary development: Relationships with prelinguistic skills and early social-emotional/behavioral problems and competencies

The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate early vocabulary development and its relationships with prelinguistic communication skills and social-emotional/behavioral (SEB11social-emotional/behavioral) problems and competencies. The participants were 58 healthy Finnish-speaking children (30 girls, 28 boys). First, the concurrent relationships were investigated at the age of 18 months. Second, the relationships between prelinguistic communication skills and SEB problems and competencies at 18 months, and subsequent vocabulary scores at 24 and 30 months, were examined. Parental reports on early vocabulary (MacArthur Communicative Developmental Inventories; MCDI), prelinguistic communication skills (The Infant-Toddler Checklist of the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile; ITC), SEB problems and competencies (Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment; BITSEA) were gathered. Compared to boys, girls scored significantly higher on ITC Speech Composite at 18 months and expressive vocabulary measures at 18, 24, and 30 months. Vocabulary, as well as prelinguistic communication measures, correlated with SEB competencies at 18 months. Furthermore, vocabulary, as well as ITC Symbolic Composite and Total Score, correlated negatively with externalizing problem and SEB Total Problem scores. With regard to subsequent vocabulary development, all of the prelinguistic communication measures at 18 months correlated with vocabulary at 24 and 30 months. However, when accounted for gender and earlier vocabulary, only the associations with ITC Speech Composite and Total Score at 24 months remained significant. SEB Competencies at 18 months correlated positively, while externalizing problems at 18 months correlated negatively with vocabulary at 24 and 30 months, however, these associations did not remain significant, when accounted for gender and earlier vocabulary.

Communication behaviours of children with cerebral palsy who are minimally verbal.

There is a lack of population-based studies exploring the communicative behaviours of minimally verbal children with cerebral palsy (CP), with factors associated with superior and poorer communication outcomes unknown. This study aimed to examine the communication behaviours of minimally verbal children with CP recruited from a representative community sample and to identify factors associated with communication outcomes. Twenty minimally verbal children aged 5-6 years, recruited through the Victorian Cerebral Palsy Register, completed the Communication and Symbolic Behaviour Scales-Developmental Profile (CSBS-DP). Linear regressions examined child-related and environmental factors associated with communication outcomes. CSBS-DP total raw scores ranged from 0 to 113. Strengths were the use of conventional gestures and understanding of language. Challenges were noted in using sequential action schemes during play. Communication typically served to regulate the behaviour of others. All participants demonstrated reduced functional communication (Communication Function Classification System levels III-IV). In the multivariable regression model adjusted for cognition, poorer communication skills were associated with Manual Ability Classification System levels IV-V (P = 0.004). Although some children with CP who are minimally verbal use a variety of communication functions, significant functional limitations may be apparent. Severe upper limb impairment may provide an early indication of greater communication difficulties.

A Two-Stage Screening Approach with I-TC and Q-CHAT to Identify Toddlers at Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder within the Italian Public Health System.

Standardized screening programs ensure that children are monitored for early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in order to promote earlier diagnosis and intervention. The aim of this study is to identify early signs of atypical development consistent with ASD or other developmental disorders in a population of 224 low-risk toddlers through a two-stage screening approach applied at 12 and 18 months of age. We adopted two screening tools combined: 1. the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile (CSBS DP) Infant–Toddler Checklist (I-TC) and 2. The Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT). We assessed their sensitivity and specificity related to the diagnostic outcome at 36 months. The results showed that autistic signs can be detected as early as the first year even through a few questions extrapolated from both screeners and that our model could be used as a screening procedure in the Italian public health system.

Validation of a Parent Report Tool for Monitoring Early Vocal Stages in Infants.

Purpose Tracking of infants' progression through early vocal stages supports the identification of children at risk for language delays and guides early intervention for children with disabilities. However, few clinical tools are available to support systematic assessment of infants' early vocal development. This study sought to develop and conduct a preliminary evaluation of the validity of a parent report tool designed for this purpose, the Vocal Development Landmarks Interview (VDLI). Method The participants were caregivers of 160 typically developing 6- to 21-month-old infants. Caregivers participated in the VDLI, which uses audio samples of authentic infant vocalizations to query parents regarding their children's vocal behaviors. The VDLI yields 3 subscale scores (Precanonical, Canonical, and Word) and a total score. Caregivers also completed sections of the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Caregiver Questionnaire that yielded a speech composite score. Results Cross-sectional analyses showed that the VDLI is sensitive to age and captures the expected developmental trajectories of vocal behaviors. A strong, positive correlation ( r = .93) was found between VDLI total scores and the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile speech composite score, indicating concurrent validity. Subscales were found to be internally consistent. Conclusion Preliminary findings of sensitivity to age, concurrent validity, and internal consistency provide support for the eventual use of the VDLI as a clinical tool for tracking vocal and early verbal milestones. Future research will explore the level of concordance between parent report and researcher observations of child vocal behaviors. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.8330003.

Validating and Applying the CSBS-ITC in Neurogenetic Syndromes.

Although social communication skills are commonly delayed in children with neurogenetic syndromes (NGS), skill profiles in very young children are largely under characterized, in part due to the lack of validated assessment measures appropriate for these populations. We addressed this gap by validating and applying a popular early social communication screening measure, the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile - Infant-Toddler Checklist (CSBS-ITC) in three previously understudied neurogenetic groups: Angelman, Prader-Willi, and Williams syndromes. Our results suggest that when used within the appropriate scope of screening and surveillance, the CSBS-ITC detects meaningful variability in skills across ages in young children with NGS and may provide useful information about both individual- and population-level social communication profiles in these populations.