Table 2

Item performance for the Holden Communication Scale (HCS) (n=128)

Items	Mean	SD	Corrected item-total correlation	Cronbach's α if item deleted
Conversation
1. Response	1.7	1.4	0.79	0.94
2. Interest in past events	2.2	1.2	0.78	0.94
3. Pleasure	1.5	1.0	0.71	0.94
4. Humour	1.9	1.2	0.79	0.94
Awareness and knowledge
5. Names	2.1	1.2	0.66	0.94
6. General orientation	2.8	1.2	0.63	0.94
7. General knowledge	2.6	1.1	0.72	0.94
8. Ability to join in games, etc	2.1	1.3	0.69	0.94
Communication
9. Speech	1.4	1.5	0.78	0.94
10. Attempts at communication	1.2	1.5	0.78	0.94
11. Interest and response to objects	1.6	1.3	0.78	0.94
12. Success in communication	1.4	1.4	0.79	0.94