Soc Com Model
- Behaviors
- Cognitive
- Language
- Processing

Assessment Guidelines

To conceptualize social communication problems, we have brought together the works of several researchers (Campbell & Siperstein, 1994; Crick & Dodge, 1994). Our model, which builds upon theirs, defines social communication competence as has having four overlapping components:

Guidelines for assessment and intervention are based upon the four overlapping components. The interrelationship of these is what ultimately defines social communication performance. Social communication behaviors sit at the top of the model, illustrating the execution of communication behaviors in social, interactive contexts. These are the behaviors that are easily observed and often reported as problematic by caregivers and teachers, for example, pushing or yelling to resolve a conflict.

Below social communication behaviors are social-cognitive abilities and language abilities. They are viewed as the skills or abilities that are necessary for a child to be able to execute the social communication behaviors. They are illustrated on the same level, because they are viewed as separate components that come together equally to support social communication behaviors.

Finally, at the bottom of the model lie processing abilities, particularly for our interests, executive functions. These are the necessary underlying processing operations that enable a child to utilize and manipulate his/her existing knowledge, along with organizing, managing and implementing incoming information.

Behaviors | Cognitive | Language | Processing
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