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Successfully Translating Language and Culture when Adapting Assessment Measures
Author(s) -
Bornman Juan,
Sevcik Rose A.,
Romski MaryAnn,
Pae Hye Kyeong
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of policy and practice in intellectual disabilities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.592
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1741-1130
pISSN - 1741-1122
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-1130.2010.00254.x
Subject(s) - typically developing , psychology , test (biology) , context (archaeology) , developmental psychology , language development , linguistics , geography , archaeology , paleontology , philosophy , autism , biology
A need exists for culturally valid and reliable developmental assessment tools for children with disabilities that are able to accommodate multiple languages. One way in which this goal can be achieved is through test translations. The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine the use of translations of select developmental assessment instruments from English to Afrikaans and from one cultural context to another (Western to South African). Specifically, we examined children's performance on two measures of development: the Mullen Scales of Early Learning and the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) . Both measures were completed for 47 typically developing South African preschool children between 3 and 6 years of age. The Mullen was completed by a speech and language therapist and the ASQ by a parent. Both of the measures used yielded similar results, and compared favorably with the existing norms. The procedures provide a framework for expanding such adaptations in other applications.