First Year Inventory

First Year Inventory Guidelines for Adaptations

November 14, 2008

The First Year Inventory (FYI) authors are gratified by the interest in adaptations of our parent questionnaire, a tool developed with the aim of detecting risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in one-year-olds. We welcome collaborative efforts with other researchers, including those who are interested in adapting the FYI into other languages. At the same time, we emphasize that the predictive validity of the FYI for identifying infants at risk for ASD is not yet established, and considerable additional research is required in order to determine whether the FYI will be able to achieve its intended purpose. It is important for researchers wishing to adapt the FYI into other languages adhere to standards and procedures that will make any adapted version genuinely comparable to the original in order to assure the coherency of ensuing research findings. In addition, given the extensive resources required to generate an appropriate adaptation and carry out the required research to standardize and validate such a tool, it is also necessary that appropriate support be available to launch such a project and that unnecessary duplication be avoided. For these reasons, the FYI authors will authorize adaptations of the FYI using the following guidelines:

A. The research team should have appropriate competence and resources for generating a successful adaptation, including norming and validation. We encourage collaboration among researchers in these projects.

B. The proposed adaptation should contain the same items as the FYI, except in those cases where an item would be inappropriate to the language or culture of the population for which it is being made. If possible, items should be adapted by providing culturally appropriate examples.

C. Adaptations should not duplicate previously authorized FYIs. For example, the adaptation should be for a language and/or a culture for which a version has not been authorized.

D. The adaptations will include a process whereby the original FYI is translated into a target language by native speakers/readers of the target language, followed by a second translation back into English by another native speaker/reader of the target language, and a final third translation back into the target language. Each translation is checked for potential errors in wording, examples, and meaning, and corrections are made.

The process for FYI adaptations is as follows:

1. Researchers interested in adapting the FYI should submit a proposal to Dr. Grace Baranek ([email protected]). The proposal should include a description of the proposed project, addressing the guidelines listed above and including: o a statement of the nature of the proposed adaptation

o names and vitas for the principal authors

o resources enabling the researchers to carry out the proposed project

o proposed strategies for collaboration with the FYI authors, to include, at a minimum, consultation during the development period and sharing of pre- publication data related to norms and validation of the adaptation.

2. The FYI authors will provide written authorization of approved projects following review of the proposal.

3. When the adaptation is complete, a copy should be sent to Grace Baranek ([email protected]) for final approval. Only with this final approval, provided in writing, is use of the term “First Year Inventory” or equivalents permitted.

4. Authors of approved versions who wish to explore commercial publication of their FYI-titled instruments must obtain explicit, written permission from the FYI authors, holders of the FYI copyright. This permission will normally be granted automatically, if the previous steps have been followed.