Cultural Adaptation of the Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration® (EASI) for Spanish-Speaking Populations.

IMPORTANCE: Spanish-speaking populations represent a significant percentage of occupational therapy clientele globally. Culturally appropriate Spanish translations of assessments are therefore imperative. This study describes the process of a culturally adapted translation of a set of tests for use with Spanish-speaking pediatric populations. OBJECTIVE: To produce a culturally adapted Spanish translation of the Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration® (EASI) for international use. METHOD: We used cultural adaptation methodology that included direct and back translations of the EASI by bilingual translators and interviews with pediatric occupational therapists and children ages 3-6 yr from Spain. Linguistic experts helped revise the translations, and pediatric occupational therapy leaders in five Spanish-speaking North and South American countries reviewed the translations for comprehensibility and cultural appropriateness. RESULTS: Back translations demonstrated equivalence with the original EASI tests except for a few test instructions and scoring criteria. Interviews with occupational therapists and children in Spain revealed some comprehension difficulties for several tests, which were revised in consultation with a linguistic expert. Additional adaptations were made on the basis of recommendations to address cultural differences by occupational therapy leaders from five North and South American countries. Most changes in wording were made in one EASI test (Praxis: Following Directions) that is heavily dependent on language comprehension. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: We used currently recommended methodologies to develop and adapt a Spanish translation of the EASI for use across diverse cultures. What This Article Adds: A Spanish translation of the EASI has been developed for use in culturally diverse Spanish-speaking countries around the world.

Cultural Adaptation of the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile for Spain.

IMPORTANCE: In Spain, culturally adapted tools are needed to assess sensory processing in adolescents and adults. OBJECTIVE: To adapt the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) so that it is culturally appropriate for use in Spain. DESIGN: Following standard procedures for cultural adaptation, we completed direct and back translation, conducted cognitive interviews, and examined test-retest reliability. PARTICIPANTS: Cognitive interviews were conducted with 18 participants ages 11-13 yr. Test-retest reliability was calculated with different samples of 30 participants who were Spanish speaking only and 30 who were Spanish and English speaking. RESULTS: The cognitive interviews revealed no serious difficulties in comprehension. The linguistic expert made necessary adjustments, and test-retest reliability of items showed low intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs; i.e., <.50) for two items in the monolingual group and five items in the bilingual group. These items were reviewed and revised by the linguistic expert, and subsequent test-retest reliability showed only one item with an ICC of <.50. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The cultural adaptation of the AASP for Spain is conceptually and semantically equivalent to the original version and provides a culturally sensitive measure of sensory processing for adolescent and adult Spanish populations. WHAT THIS ARTICLE ADDS: The cultural adaptation of assessment tools is an essential part of occupational therapy clinical intervention. We describe the cultural adaptation to Spain of the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile.