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September 10, 2025

A Culturally Adapted Verbal Behavior Assessment for Arabic-Speaking Preschoolers With Asd: Preliminary Validation in Algeria

AKAhmed Kharoubi HKHabi Kheira RHRahal Nour El HoudaUniversité Oran 1 Ahmed Ben Bella

Key Points

The AVBAT ASD showed high internal consistency with a Cronbach’s α of .976, demonstrating reliable measurement.
Exploratory factor analysis indicated a two-factor structure, accounting for 84.68% of total variance, reflecting the tool’s validity.
Strong test-retest reliability was observed with a coefficient of ρ = .981, confirming the stability of the assessment tool.
The culturally adapted tool's simplicity and relevance highlight its potential for early intervention in Arabic-speaking contexts.

Abstract

This study presents the development and preliminary validation of the Algerian Verbal Behavior Assessment Tool for Autism Spectrum Disorder (AVBAT ASD), a culturally grounded instrument designed to assess core verbal operants, mands, tacts, echoics, and intraverbalsin Algerian Arabic-speaking children aged 3 to 5 years with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The tool comprises 20 items rated on a 3-point scale and can be administered in under 30 minutes, making it particularly suitable for use in low-resource or time-constrained settings. A total of 63 children diagnosed with ASD participated in the study, with 31 undergoing a second evaluation two weeks later to assess test–retest reliability. Exploratory factor analysis supported a two-factor structure, Functional Communication and Echoic, accounting for 84.68% of total variance (KMO = 0.916; Bartlett’s χ² = 2121.62, p < .001). All items showed strong communalities (0.601–0.936) and aligned with theoretical domains. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach’s α = .976), and all item-total correlations were significant (ρ = .743–.941, p < .001). Splithalf reliability coefficients (Spearman–Brown and Guttman = .933) and test– retest reliability (ρ = .981, p < .01) confirmed the tool’s stability and coherence. Item difficulty indices ranged from 0.70 to 1.02, capturing a broad spectrum of language abilities. The AVBAT ASD demonstrated strong content validity, informed by expert and caregiver feedback, and reflected Algerian linguistic and cultural norms, enhancing ecological validity. By emphasizing the functional use of language rather than its form, the tool aligns with Skinner’s behavioral framework and is compatible with intervention models like Pivotal Response Treatment. Its simplicity, cultural relevance, and psychometric strength make it a promising tool for clinicians, educators, and caregivers engaged in early identification and intervention planning for children with ASD in Arabic-speaking North African contexts.

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