Adaptation and Psychometric Features of a Parent Report Measure to Profile Conversational Skills in Persian-Speaking Children with and without Language Disorders

Abstract

Backgrounds: Language professionals require effective tools to gather accurate information about children's language in diverse settings. This study aimed to create a Persian version of the Preschoolers' Conversational Skills scale and gather initial data on conversational skills in children with and without language disorders.Method: The study primarily aimed to adapt an English research instrument into a Persian version. To achieve this goal, the research team employed a comprehensive process, including forward translation, synthesis of translations (harmony), backward translations (consolidation), expert committee review, cognitive interviewing, test of pre-final version, and submission and appraisal of all written reports. The participants involved in this process consisted of four translators, a statistician, a linguist, a speech therapist, the research team, eleven language professionals, ten mothers for cognitive interviewing, and 114 mothers for pretesting the final adapted version. A test-retest approach was utilized to assess the scale's reliability.Results: During the translation process, there were no complicated words or phrases encountered. The expert panel retained all items from the adapted version, adding examples to two items. Participants who evaluated the Persian version found the items clear and straightforward. The Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Scale Content Validity Index (S-CVI) were 1 and above 0.9, respectively, indicating high content validity. The Cronbach's alpha value, which measures the scale's internal consistency, was calculated to be 0.9, signifying a high level of reliability. The scale used cut-off points of at or below 2.5, between 2.5 and 4.8, and at or above 4.8 to categorize children based on their conversational skills.Conclusion: the adapted version of the Preschoolers’ Conversational Skills scale has demonstrated excellent validity and high reliability. Moreover, the scale is easy and quick to administer, making it suitable for use in clinical settings to evaluate children's pragmatic language abilities. Based on the scale's categorization, children can be classified into three groups: "no or infrequent pragmatic skills," "emerging pragmatic skills," and "well-developed pragmatic skills."

Keywords

• adaptation
• children
• conversational skills
• language disorders
• psychometric features