BackgroundCurrent speech language assessment and intervention measures are not always culturally valid, as they are not standardised specifically for the various cultural groups within the South African population; and thus need to be adapted.ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to examine the appropriateness and utility of translations of the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) instrument (60 month age group) from English to the Hindi language and culture, which is represented in South Africa.MethodsBiographical questionnaires, ASQ and evaluation thereof were translated in Hindi and completed by parents of 15 typically developing South African preschool children of Indian origin, at the 60 month age level (including children between 57 and 66 months).ResultsParticipants reported that the questions were well phrased, and that illustrations and tips helped them to complete the questionnaires quickly and accurately. They preferred to be questioned in Hindi, which helped them understand the questions and made it easier to provide the necessary information to answer the questions.ConclusionsIn conclusion, it is evident that this translation of the ASQ (60 month age group) from English to Hindi served as an appropriate tool for use with the middle socioeconomic class Hindi (Indian) language and culture. The results of this study would assist to determine the functionality of culturally and linguistically valid assessment tools for different populations, and would contribute to the development of Early Childhood Intervention as a whole in South Africa. It would also contribute to the development of multilingual informal school-readiness screening questionnaires appropriate for the South African context. This is particularly relevant, as school-readiness assessments take place at 60 months to ensure that the child is ready to learn by school age (6–7 years).
Detecting developmental delays is essential for early intervention, especially in low to middle income countries (LMICs), where prevalence is highest. Detection in infants is challenging; therefore, this study compares the outcome of two measures, the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III (BSID-III) and Parents Evaluation of Developmental status (PEDS) tools. A cross-sectional, within-subject, comparative design was employed to determine the overall and domain-specific performance of the PEDS tools smartphone application and the BSID-III to detect developmental delays in 174 young children aged 3-18 months. Data was collected at a primary healthcare (PHC) clinic in Mamelodi, an underserved high-risk community, in South Africa. The PEDS tools identified 56% (n=97), and the BSID-III 35% (n=61) of the 158 children with possible developmental delays, with an overall agreement of 65% between tests. The PEDS tools referral rate was significantly higher (p=0.004) than that of the BSID-III. The high-risk nature and age group (<18 months) may have contributed to the poor agreement across the tools. A combination of tools for the screening and assessment of developmental delay in infants in a South African PHC context may be necessary.
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