Brief Report: Evaluating the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC) Scores Between Interaction Partners.

PURPOSE: This study examined whether the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC) yields consistent scores when administered by parents versus professionals within the same home environment.

METHOD: Forty-one toddlers (73% male; mean age 28.2 months) at elevated likelihood for autism spectrum disorder completed two BOSCC sessions at home: one parent-led and one professional-led, following identical procedures. The domains, Social Communication (SC), Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours (RRB), and Other Abnormal Behaviours (OAB), were scored by independent coders. Scores were compared using paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and consistency was assessed with correlations.

RESULTS

No significant differences were observed between parent- and professional-led sessions for Total BOSCC scores or the SC, RRB, or OAB domains (all p > .19; Cohen's d < 0.15). Correlations were strong for Total (ρ = 0.90), SC (ρ = 0.83), and RRB (r = .78) scores, indicating high consistency. OAB scores exhibited only moderate correlation (ρ = 0.33), which became non-significant following outlier exclusion.

CONCLUSIONS

BOSCC reliably captures core autism-related behaviours (SC and RRB) irrespective of whether the session is led by a parent or a professional. Parent-led administration in the home is a valid and scalable approach for naturalistic behavioural monitoring and intervention assessment.