Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System: Indigenous Australian Adaptation Model (ABAS: IAAM)

Abstract

The study objectives were to develop, trial and evaluate a cross-cultural adaptation of the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-Second Edition Teacher Form (ABAS-II TF) ages 5-21 for use with Indigenous Australian students ages 5-14. This study introduced a multiphase mixed-method design with semi-structured and informal interviews, school observations, and psychometric analyses of existing and new Northern Territory student data. It trained teachers to undertake psychological testing of Indigenous students. The cross-cultural adaptation was performed according to the internationally recommended methodology, using forward translation, back-translation, revision by an expert committee, and a pilot trial. The reliability was estimated through internal consistency and standard error of measurement. The validity was assessed through test content, response process, internal structure, internal consistency, age group differences, inter-correlations among adaptive domains, and correlations with other variables. A clinical validity study tested students‟ performance with and without special education needs. The results indicated good internal consistency for the adaptive domains and composite score (Social Adaptive Domain, alpha=.92; Conceptual Adaptive Domain, alpha=.94; Personal Adaptive Domain, alpha=.78; General Adaptive Composite, alpha=.94). The standard error of measurement indicated high test accuracy. Content -, construct -, and concurrent validity were measured. Concurrent validity evaluated the mean scores of students with and without special education needs, indicated significant variance (p<0.001). The data showed that the cross-cultural adaptation process was successful, and the adapted instrument demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties, making it valid and reliable to use in the Indigenous context.