Adapting Tests for Spanish-Speaking Children

The major difference between screening tests for Spanish-speaking children that are merely translated, as opposed to adapted versions, is their respective ability to correctly identify children with actual or potential learning problems in an unbiased manner This paper describes the rationale and processes involved in adapting a screening test, using Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-Third Edition (DIAL-3) as an example. The procedure involved both content development (scrupulous adaptation of testing materials, taking into account the differences in the phonological, semantic, and syntactic characteristics between the English and Spanish languages, as well as the different cultural experiences and expectations that influence children's development), and psychometric investigations (the establishment of construct and measurement unit equivalency). Analyses of differential item functioning and reliabilities were carried out to examine the equivalency between the two versions. Results showed that the common items behaved similarly in both samples, and the reliabilities were comparable across the two language versions. The rationale for using one set of norms for both language versions is also discussed.