There is some evidence of an intervention effect on blind and parent/teacher-reported communication outcomes, but not standardized language assessment outcomes, for 6-11-year-old children who have pragmatic and social communication needs. These findings are discussed in the context of the increasingly central role of service user outcomes in providing evidence for an intervention. The substantial overlap between the presence of PLI and ASD (75%) across the whole cohort suggests that the intervention may also be applicable to some verbally able children with ASD who have pragmatic communication needs.

Predetermining theoretical background, structure, and content in a treatment manual contributed towards the quality and reliability of intervention within the context of an RCT. The implementation of SCIP intervention in a broader clinical context is discussed with reference to staff expertise, the therapeutic process and the essential ingredients of social communication intervention.

This analysis has contributed essential information to the evaluation of SCIP by describing the experience of the intervention as delivered, exploring processes of effective implementation and change in the school setting and by describing the value placed on different outcomes by parents and teachers. These findings can inform planning for collaborations between speech and language therapists and teachers and provide useful information about mechanisms of change in different components of the SCIP intervention which have not been individually evaluated before. Information on changes in children's communication skills which were perceived as meaningful to those living and working with the children daily is crucial to the acceptance and translation of the SCIP intervention into practice.

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