| Literature DB >> 26557324 |
Jaclyn B Spitzer1, Jorge S Zavala2.
Abstract
The LittlEARS Auditory Questionnaire is a parent questionnaire created to assess development of age-dependent auditory behaviors of children in the pre-verbal stage. The original questionnaire was developed in Austria (in German), and is now being introduced in the United States in English. This study was designed to obtain normative data on a Spanish translation. Fifty parents or caregivers participated. Responses were obtained at their child's visit to a hospital clinic or an external ambulatory site. Children ranged in age from .5 to 21.4 months (mean = 9.5 months). Parents were either Spanish monolingual or bilingual representing 5 national origins. Analyses included correlation of age with total score, and with individual questions, index of difficulty, discrimination and selectivity indices, scale analysis, split-half reliability and internal consistency. Specifically, correlation between age and number of observed behaviors was 0.927. A measure of internal consistency was high, 0.95. Results indicated that the translated LittlEARS for use with Spanish speakers is a potentially useful tool for clinicians assessing pre-verbal auditory behavior. High correlations of total score with age suggested that the questionnaire reflects a progression of auditory skills in the 0 to 24 months age group.Entities:
Keywords: auditory development; cochlear implant evaluation; infants; parental observation; screening
Year: 2011 PMID: 26557324 PMCID: PMC4627113 DOI: 10.4081/audiores.2011.e31
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Audiol Res ISSN: 2039-4330
Figure 1.Age distribution for children in sample (N=50).
Figure 2.Correlation between age and total score (N=50).
Correlation of age and individual items.
| Question | Correlation age/score Spanish US | Correlation age/score German |
|---|---|---|
| F1 | 0.16 | 0.21 |
| F2 | - | 0.10 |
| F3 | - | 0.30 |
| F4 | 0.24 | 0.28 |
| F5 | 0.17 | 0.37 |
| F6 | -0.03 | 0.48 |
| F7 | 0.36 | 0.43 |
| F8 | 0.15 | 0.12 |
| F9 | 0.39 | 0.54 |
| F10 | 0.21 | 0.43 |
| F11 | 0.25 | 0.46 |
| F12 | 0.42 | 0.70 |
| F13 | 0.35 | 0.60 |
| F14 | 0.07 | 0.11 |
| F15 | 0.51 | 0.67 |
| F16 | 0.52 | 0.66 |
| F17 | 0.61 | 0.65 |
| F18 | 0.68 | 0.76 |
| F19 | 0.61 | 0.64 |
| F20 | 0.70 | 0.79 |
| F21 | 0.78 | 0.65 |
| F22 | 0.85 | 0.80 |
| F23 | 0.83 | 0.79 |
| F24 | 0.87 | 0.80 |
| F25 | 0.78 | 0.73 |
| F26 | 0.86 | 0.79 |
| F27 | 0.61 | 0.74 |
| F28 | 0.71 | 0.72 |
| F29 | 0.75 | 0.61 |
| F30 | 0.68 | 0.77 |
| F31 | 0.84 | 0.69 |
| F32 | 0.86 | 0.70 |
| F33 | 0.38 | 0.56 |
| F34 | 0.81 | 0.69 |
| F35 | 0.78 | 0.51 |
| Average | 0.54 | 0.57 |
| SD | 0.27 | 0.21 |
| Minimum | -0.03 | 0.10 |
| Maximum | 0.87 | 0.80 |
*Correlation coefficient could not be calculated because all participants gave the same answer.
Item analysis of LittlEARS questionnaire in Spanish (USA) (N = 50).
| Question number | Index of difficulty coefficient | Discriminatory power power coefficient | Part-to-whole discriminatory | Sensitivity index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.98 | 0.14 | 0.12 | 0.49 |
| 2 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | - |
| 3 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | - |
| 4 | 0.96 | 0.27 | 0.25 | 0.68 |
| 5 | 0.98 | 0.28 | 0.26 | 0.96 |
| 6 | 0.96 | 0.06 | 0.03 | 0.14 |
| 7 | 0.85 | 0.43 | 0.40 | 0.61 |
| 8 | 0.94 | 0.16 | 0.13 | 0.33 |
| 9 | 0.75 | 0.39 | 0.35 | 0.45 |
| 10 | 0.90 | 0.29 | 0.26 | 0.47 |
| 11 | 0.96 | 0.31 | 0.29 | 0.77 |
| 12 | 0.88 | 0.50 | 0.47 | 0.75 |
| 13 | 0.83 | 0.43 | 0.40 | 0.58 |
| 14 | 0.85 | 0.15 | 0.11 | 0.22 |
| 15 | 0.71 | 0.59 | 0.56 | 0.65 |
| 16 | 0.75 | 0.62 | 0.59 | 0.72 |
| 17 | 0.52 | 0.66 | 0.62 | 0.66 |
| 18 | 0.54 | 0.78 | 0.65 | 0.78 |
| 19 | 0.54 | 0.68 | 0.78 | 0.68 |
| 20 | 0.65 | 0.77 | 0.73 | 0.81 |
| 21 | 0.52 | 0.79 | 0.83 | 0.79 |
| 22 | 0.48 | 0.85 | 0.85 | 0.85 |
| 23 | 0.29 | 0.79 | 0.78 | 0.87 |
| 24 | 0.40 | 0.86 | 0.79 | 0.88 |
| 25 | 0.48 | 0.83 | 0.89 | 0.83 |
| 26 | 0.35 | 0.86 | 0.69 | 0.90 |
| 27 | 0.23 | 0.62 | 0.67 | 0.74 |
| 28 | 0.27 | 0.74 | 0.70 | 0.83 |
| 29 | 0.42 | 0.80 | 0.76 | 0.81 |
| 30 | 0.25 | 0.69 | 0.75 | 0.79 |
| 31 | 0.40 | 0.88 | 0.85 | 0.90 |
| 32 | 0.40 | 0.86 | 0.47 | 0.88 |
| 33 | 0.71 | 0.47 | 0.75 | 0.52 |
| 34 | 0.27 | 0.76 | 0.74 | 0.86 |
| 35 | 0.38 | 0.82 | 0.80 | 0.85 |
| Average | 0.64 | 0.55 | 0.52 | 0.70 |
| Minimum | 0.23 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.14 |
| Maximum | 1.00 | 0.88 | 0.89 | 0.96 |
*No analysis because all participants gave the same answer.
Reliability analysis of the LittlEARS in Spanish (USA) questionnaire using Guttman’s Lambda.
| Reliability statistics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Lambda | 1 | 0.471 |
| 2 | 0.943 | |
| 3 | 0.943 | |
| 4 | 0.943 | |
| 5 | 0.943 | |
| 6 | 0.926 | |
| N. of Items | 2 |
Split-half reliability of the LittlEARS in Spanish (USA).
| Reliability statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cronbach’s a | Part 1 | Value | 1.000 |
| N. of items | 1 | ||
| Part 2 | Value | 1.000 | |
| N. of items | 1 | ||
| Total N of items | 2 | ||
| Correlation between forms | 0.927 | ||
| Spearman-Brown | Equal length | 0.962 | |
| Coefficient | Unequal length | 0.962 | |
| Guttman split-half coefficient | 0.943 |
*The items are: age (months), age (months);
°the items are: total, total.
LittlEARs Spanish (USA) norm curve in comparison to German norm curve.
| Hearing age (months) | Norm curve Spanish | Norm curve German | Difference Spanish - German | Confidence-interval Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 9.1 | 2.1 | 7.0 | 2.10 |
| 0.5 | 10.0 | 3.2 | 6.8 | 3.09 |
| 1.0 | 10.8 | 4.3 | 6.5 | 4.04 |
| 1.5 | 11.7 | 5.3 | 6.4 | 4.96 |
| 2.0 | 12.5 | 6.4 | 6.1 | 5.86 |
| 2.5 | 13.4 | 7.4 | 6.0 | 6.73 |
| 3.0 | 14.2 | 8.4 | 5.8 | 7.57 |
| 3.5 | 15.0 | 9.4 | 5.6 | 8.40 |
| 4.0 | 15.8 | 10.3 | 5.5 | 9.20 |
| 4.5 | 16.6 | 11.3 | 5.3 | 9.99 |
| 5.0 | 17.3 | 12.2 | 5.1 | 10.75 |
| 5.5 | 18.1 | 13.1 | 5.0 | 11.50 |
| 6.0 | 18.8 | 14.0 | 4.8 | 12.23 |
| 6.5 | 19.5 | 14.9 | 4.6 | 12.95 |
| 7.0 | 20.3 | 15.7 | 4.6 | 13.65 |
| 7.5 | 21.0 | 16.6 | 4.4 | 14.34 |
| 8.0 | 21.7 | 17.4 | 4.3 | 15.01 |
| 8.5 | 22.3 | 18.2 | 4.1 | 15.68 |
| 9.0 | 23.0 | 19.0 | 4.0 | 16.33 |
| 9.5 | 23.6 | 19.7 | 3.9 | 16.97 |
| 10.0 | 24.3 | 20.5 | 3.8 | 17.60 |
| 10.5 | 24.9 | 21.2 | 3.7 | 18.22 |
| 11.0 | 25.5 | 21.9 | 3.6 | 18.83 |
| 11.5 | 26.1 | 22.6 | 3.5 | 19.42 |
| 12.0 | 26.7 | 23.2 | 3.5 | 20.01 |
| 12.5 | 27.3 | 23.9 | 3.4 | 20.58 |
| 13.0 | 27.8 | 24.5 | 3.3 | 21.15 |
| 13.5 | 28.4 | 25.1 | 3.3 | 21.70 |
| 14.0 | 28.9 | 25.7 | 3.2 | 22.23 |
| 14.5 | 29.4 | 26.3 | 3.1 | 22.76 |
| 15.0 | 29.9 | 26.8 | 3.1 | 23.27 |
| 15.5 | 30.4 | 27.4 | 3.0 | 23.77 |
| 16.0 | 30.9 | 27.9 | 3.0 | 24.25 |
| 16.5 | 31.4 | 28.4 | 3.0 | 24.71 |
| 17.0 | 31.8 | 28.9 | 2.9 | 25.15 |
| 17.5 | 32.3 | 29.3 | 3.0 | 25.58 |
| 18.0 | 32.7 | 29.8 | 2.9 | 25.98 |
| 18.5 | 33.1 | 30.2 | 2.9 | 26.37 |
| 19.0 | 33.5 | 30.6 | 2.9 | 26.73 |
| 19.5 | 33.9 | 31.0 | 2.9 | 27.06 |
| 20.0 | 34.3 | 31.3 | 3.0 | 27.37 |
| 20.5 | 34.6 | 31.7 | 2.9 | 27.65 |
| 21.0 | 35.0 | 32.0 | 3.0 | 27.90 |
| 21.5 | 35.3 | 32.3 | 3.0 | 28.12 |
| 22.0 | 35.6 | 32.6 | 3.0 | 28.30 |
| 22.5 | 35.9 | 32.9 | 3.0 | 28.46 |
| 23.0 | 36.2 | 33.1 | 3.1 | 28.58 |
| 23.5 | 36.5 | 33.4 | 3.1 | 28.67 |
| 24.0 | 36.8 | 33.6 | 3.2 | 28.72 |
Figure 3.LittlEARS curves as a function of age: Spanish (USA) norm curve in comparison to the overall norm curve and the German norm curve
Standardized values (expected value and lower limit for the 95% confidence interval) of age-dependent auditory behaviors.
| Age (months) | Expected values | Minimum value (lower limit of 95% confidence interval) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 ≤ 1 | 10 | 3 |
| 1 ≤ 2 | 12 | 5 |
| 2 ≤ 3 | 13 | 7 |
| 3 ≤ 4 | 15 | 8 |
| 4 ≤ 5 | 17 | 10 |
| 5 ≤ 6 | 18 | 12 |
| 6 ≤ 7 | 20 | 13 |
| 7 ≤ 8 | 21 | 14 |
| 8 ≤ 9 | 22 | 16 |
| 9 ≤ 10 | 24 | 17 |
| 10 ≤ 11 | 25 | 18 |
| 11 ≤ 12 | 26 | 19 |
| 12 ≤ 13 | 27 | 21 |
| 13 ≤ 14 | 28 | 22 |
| 14 ≤ 15 | 29 | 23 |
| 15 ≤ 16 | 30 | 24 |
| 16 ≤ 17 | 31 | 25 |
| 17 ≤ 18 | 32 | 26 |
| 18 ≤ 19 | 33 | 26 |
| 19 ≤ 20 | 34 | 27 |
| 20 ≤ 21 | 35 | 28 |
| 21 ≤ 22 | 35 | 28 |
| 22 ≤ 23 | 35 | 28 |
| 23 ≤ 24 | 35 | 29 |