About the ASQ:SE-2 Arabic Questionnaires
About the ASQ :SE-2 Arabic Questionnaires
Ages & Stages Questionnaires
® : Social-Emotional in Arabic, Second Edition (ASQ®:SE-2 in Arabic) was developed to meet the needs of programs serving diverse families and to promote universal screening for all children. The translation was completed by Huda Felimban, Ph.D., a bilingual (Arabic/English) lecturer in the Department of Childhood Studies at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. Dr. Felimban has extensive knowledge of early intervention and serving children with developmental delays. She is also the lead translator of Ages & Stages Questionnaires® in Arabic, Third Edition (ASQ®-3 in Arabic). She focused on creating a standardized Arabic translation of ASQ:SE-2 that can be used across most Arabic dialects to meet the needs of parents and families in the U.S.
The translation process included initial translation, back-translation to English, expert review, pilot use with families, and research to address items that needed modification for Arabic language and culture. For each step, Arabic text was compared to ASQ:SE-2 text in English to match item intent and skills targeted. The Arabic questionnaires were reviewed by experts from different Arabic-speaking countries, including Lebanon, Iraq, and Egypt, to ensure that the translation is accurate and as widely accessible as possible for families from different countries.
ASQ:SE-2 Arabic Features
The ASQ:SE-2 Arabic CD-ROM has 9 questionnaires and Information Summary sheets in Arabic that parallel the English, Spanish, and French versions. Supplemental materials to enhance use with families and aid in program use include:
- What is ASQ:SE-2? (Arabic) parent handout
- Parent Conference Sheet (Arabic)
- Child Monitoring Sheet (Arabic)
- About This Translation
- Mailing Sheet
- Frequently Asked Questions
Content Refinements
In a few instances, Dr. Felimban consulted with the ASQ:SE-2 authors and a parent feedback group to ensure accurate translation of items that were more challenging to directly translate in Arabic. These include:
- “Does your baby have any eating problems, such as gagging, vomiting, or ________? (Please describe.)” The concept of “gagging” in this item has been translated as “difficulties in swallowing” to accurately describe the action to Arabic-speaking families.
- “Is your child’s body relaxed?” Because this is difficult to describe in Arabic, Dr. Felimban discussed the item intent with the authors to come up with accurate phrasing for the translated item.
- “Is your baby able to calm himself down (for example, by sucking his hand or pacifier)?” Arabic-speaking parents who participated in a focus group had difficulty understanding how young children can calm themselves down, so the translation of this item was discussed and adjusted accordingly.
Normative Data and Cutoffs
ASQ:SE-2 Arabic uses the same cutoffs as the English version of ASQ:SE-2. Because the cutoff scores have not yet been fully tested, results and cutoffs should be viewed with caution and with consideration to language and cultural differences. Children should be referred for further assessment if parents have any concerns about their children’s development.