Translation, adaptation, and validation of the Arabic version of the meaningful auditory integration scale

Abstract

Objectives The main objectives of this study were to translate and adapt the infant-toddler meaningful integration scale (IT-MAIS) into Arabic and to establish the psychometric properties of the translated scale in children with a cochlear implant. Methods The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of this questionnaire were completed in multiple steps and following standard translation protocols. In total, twenty-eight parents of young cochlear implant recipients completed IT-MAIS. Data were collected postoperatively and at 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month post-device activation. Data were examined for the validity and reliability of the scale. The internal consistency and reliability of the scale were analyzed using Cronbach α, split-half reliability, and the corrected item-total correlation coefficients. Results Findings demonstrated that the scale exhibited good face and content validity, suggesting that the scale is a one-dimensional measure. Additionally, the reliability analysis for the scale indicated high reliability and correlation among test items. IT-MAIS scores consistently improved over time for all participants and this improvement. correlated negatively with the duration of deafness. Conclusion Current findings indicated that the translated Arabic version of the IT-MAIS scale could serve as a valid instrument for assessing the development of auditory skills in Arabic-speaking children with cochlear implants.