Assessing Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in UAE: Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the ABAS-3 checklist for use in special schools and Centers in the Gulf Countries

Author : Dr. Maria Efstratopoulou, Mrs Shamsa Al Marzooqi

Abstract :Adaptive Behavior Assessment System Third Edition (ABAS-3) is a well-known instrument which gives a complete picture of adaptive skills across the lifespan. It is particularly useful for evaluating children with developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, learning disabilities, neuropsychological disorders, and sensory or physical impairments. This study focus on the translation and cultural adaptation of the Instrument into Arabic and assess its psychometric properties Method: Forward translation of the original instrument, production of a synthesized version, back-translation, literal and semantic comparison, back-translator’s evaluation of divergent items, synthesized version with back-translator’s suggestions, clarity assessment of the synthesized version by professionals (special education teachers), focus group to assess clarity indicators of the instrument, evaluation of adjustments , and production of the final version. Data from 381 students from UAE schools were used to check the Psychometric properties of the new Arabic Version. Results: Results indicated a satisfactory level of agreement between the original and the back-translated versions. CFA was performed to explore the Instrument underlining Factors and Internal Consistency, Interrater Reliability, Test-retest Reliability and Content Validity tests revealed that the instrument is reliable and valid for use in UAE school

Keywords :Adaptive behavior, children, Special education, attention, cross-cultural adaptation. Validity, Reliability.

Conference Name :International Conference on Special Educational Needs, Teaching and Different Approaches (ICSENTDA-25)

Conference Place Bali, Indonesia

Conference Date 9th May 2025