[Validation in Arabic of the Revised Autistic Behavior Summarized Evaluation Scale (BSE-R)]

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Clinical Assessment Tools

Background:

• The Behavioral Summarized Evaluation (BSE-R) is crucial for assessing autistic behaviors in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
• Standardized tools for evaluating autistic behaviors and therapeutic effects are lacking in Lebanon, creating an urgent need for validation.
• The BSE-R facilitates the progressive recording of behavioral evolution in children with ASD undergoing short-term therapeutic studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the Behavioral Summarized Evaluation rating scale (BSE-R) for the Lebanese population.
• To adapt and confirm the utility of the BSE-R as a reliable assessment tool for autistic behaviors in Arabic-speaking children.
• To address the absence of standardized assessment tools for ASD in Lebanon.

Main Methods:

• The BSE-R scale was translated into Arabic through specialized translation and clinical review processes.
• One hundred children diagnosed with ASD (age range: 35-153 months) participated, with 58 having intellectual disability (ID).
• BSE-R ratings were conducted by trained raters in both individual and group settings, with autism severity assessed using the CARS scale.

Main Results:

• The Arabic version of the BSE-R demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability.
• Internal validity revealed a primary factor, termed "relational deficiency," highly correlated with core autistic behaviors (social interaction, communication, specific interests) with high internal consistency (0.91-0.92).
• External validity confirmed that this factor is primarily driven by ASD severity, independent of intellectual disability severity.

Conclusions:

• The Arabic BSE-R is a practical and valuable tool for clinicians and researchers working with children with ASD in Lebanon and the wider Arab region.
• This validated scale will facilitate future research by providing a reliable assessment instrument at an international level.
• The BSE-R's validation supports standardized evaluation of autistic behaviors and therapeutic interventions in Arabic-speaking populations.