Turkish Translation and Cultural Adaptation of the Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration (EASI).

Abstract

Introduction: Cultural sensitivity and relevance are critical components for best practice in occupational therapy assessment. The Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration (EASI) is a performance-based assessment designed to evaluate sensory perception, sensory reactivity, postural control, ocular control, bilateral integration, and praxis abilities in children aged 3-12 years. Before the development of this tool, no standardized performance-based assessment of sensory integration functions had included a normative Turkish sample. The objective of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the EASI for Türkiye.

Method: A seven-step process for translation and cross-cultural adaptation, grounded in established methodology, was applied. The steps included forward translation, back translation, expert review, linguistic review, cognitive interviews, and pilot testing.

Results: Minor revisions were made following expert and linguistic reviews, but no semantic or conceptual inconsistencies were found in the forward translations. Although some differences emerged in the back translation compared with the original version, these discrepancies did not affect test administration or scoring.

Conclusion: A Turkish version of the EASI has been successfully developed through a systematic translation and cross-cultural adaptation process. The findings support the linguistic and cultural appropriateness of the Turkish version and provide a foundation for future psychometric validation and research in children in Türkiye.