Assessing Preschool Children In Uae: Development Of The Preschool Autism Checklist (Pac) For Teachers
Maria Efstratopoulou, Omniah Gharib A-lQahtani
كلية التربية -جامعة الإمارات العربية المتحدة-جامعة الإمارات العربية المتحدة · الامارات
This study aims to develop a new assessment tool for teachers to recognize and evaluate early signs of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in preschool children in the UAE. The study also discussed the cultural characteristics of the Gulf region and their impact on ASD. The available ASD instruments may be unclear in language and difficult to understand for regular teachers. However, a Preschool Autism Checklist (PAC) has been developed that is specifically tailored to the sociocultural norms of the Arab Gulf Countries. The ASD symptoms were taken from the DSM-5 (APA, 2013) as a reference source, while ASD scales incorporated the feedback and recommendations of 18 special education teachers. To achieve the aim of this study, a qualitative method study was conducted to develop and validate PAC through three phases: (i) development phase, (ii) testing the reliability of PAC using data from 380 Emirati preschool children assessed by their 26 teachers from different schools in the UAE, and (iii) assessing the validity of PAC using the Autism Behaviour Checklist (ABC). The test-retest reliability result showed that there was a significant correlation between the mean scores of the preschool children. Exploratory analysis revealed a three-factor structure as follows: repetitive and restrictive behaviour (M = 4.21, SD =0 .90), social and communication problems (M = 4.21, SD =0 .90); cognitive and sensory disturbances (M = 4.10, SD =0 .90). Inter-rater reliability confirmed that PAC had a high level of inter-rater agreement. In addition, the results showed differences in the type of disability: children with ASD scored lower than children with ADHD and typical children. However, children with typical development scored higher than children with ASD and ADHD on most problem scales. the results support the use of PAC as a valid tool for assessing children at risk for ASD in the UAE. These results suggest that PAC is a valid and reliable tool for assessing early ASD signs in preschool children by their teachers. Implications and recommendations for tailored interventions for preschool children at risk for ASD are discussed. Although PAC is not a diagnostic tool for ASD, it can identify ASD risk cases in preschool children early before clinical treatment is provided. Further research is needed to further validate the psychometric properties of PAC as an ASD assessment tool for preschool children in the UAE.