The Persian version of infant-toddler meaningful auditory integration scale.

Background and Aim: The current study aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale (IT-MAIS) questionnaire. Because cochlear implantation is done today at younger ages, the use of a suitable questionnaire is necessary to evaluate auditory skills and follow up the rehabilitation progress. Methods: IT-MAIS was translated according to the International Quality of Life Assessment (IQOLA) translation protocol. The content validity was performed using Lawshe method with the participation of 10 expert professionals. The questionnaire was completed for 34 parents of cochlear-implanted children before initial programming of the device, two weeks after the rehabilitation program, and finally three months later. The intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated for test-retest reliability for each ITMAIS subscale. The internal consistency reliability was analyzed using the Cronbach a coefficient. Results: The content validity ratio for all items was above 0.79, and the content validity index was obtained to be higher than 0.96. The Cronbach a for the entire questionnaire was 0.74, and for different sections of it was obtained as 0.63-0.67. A significant difference was observed between the total score of the questionnaire before and after the rehabilitation program and its sub-items (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The Persian version of the questionnaire of IT-MAIS is a valid instrument in terms of translation quality as well as reliability and validity for assessing cochlear implant user children who are younger than three years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]