The French Version of the DABS: Adaptation Process and Preliminary Field Test

Area of Science:

• Psychometrics
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Assessment

Background:

• The Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale (DABS) is a crucial tool for assessing adaptive behaviors.
• Transcultural adaptation is essential for ensuring the validity and reliability of assessment tools across different linguistic and cultural contexts.
• The need for a French version of the DABS to serve French-speaking populations with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) was identified.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a transcultural adaptation of the Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale (DABS) into French, named DABS-F.
• To conduct a field evaluation of the DABS-F to assess its clarity, relevance, and content validity.
• To provide a reliable and culturally appropriate assessment tool for adaptive behaviors in French-speaking individuals with IDD.

Main Methods:

• Two expert committees, comprising intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) specialists and professional translators, were formed for the translation process.
• The translated instrument, DABS-F, underwent field evaluation by 34 independent IDD experts.
• Experts rated the clarity and relevance of each item in the DABS-F.

Main Results:

• Complete agreement was achieved between the two translation committees during the adaptation process.
• The DABS-F demonstrated very satisfactory levels of clarity and relevance, as rated by independent experts.
• These findings provide strong evidence for the content validity of the French-adapted DABS-F.

Conclusions:

• The transcultural adaptation of the DABS into French (DABS-F) was successfully developed.
• The DABS-F is a clear, relevant, and content-valid tool for assessing adaptive behaviors in French-speaking individuals with IDD.
• Minor adjustments for specific items were discussed, paving the way for its clinical application.