Adaptation of Anxiety Scale for Children-Autism Spectrum Disorder-Parent Version (ASC-ASD-P-TR) to Turkish Culture and Examination of Psychometric Properties.

Researchers successfully translated and tested an anxiety assessment tool for parents of autistic children in Turkey. The tool helps parents rate their child's anxiety across four areas: performance worries, separation anxiety, physical arousal, and uncertainty. The study involved 371 parents of autistic children aged 8-15. The Turkish version proved reliable and valid, giving parents and professionals a proper way to measure anxiety in autistic children in Turkey.

This methodological study adapted the Anxiety Scale for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder-Parent Version (ASC-ASD-P) into Turkish (ASC-ASD-P-TR) for use with children with ASD aged 8-15 years. The study involved 371 parents and was conducted online between October 2023 and March 2024. The Turkish version maintained the original four-dimension structure (Performance, Separation, Arousal, and Uncertainty) with 24 items and demonstrated strong psychometric properties. The scale showed excellent overall internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94) and adequate reliability in subdimensions (0.66-0.80).

Content and construct validity were established, with the scale explaining 61% of total variance. The ASC-ASD-P-TR provides scores ranging from 24-96, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety levels.

The ASC-ASD-P-TR provides Turkish-speaking families and clinicians with a culturally adapted, reliable tool for assessing anxiety in autistic children. This addresses a significant gap in assessment resources and may improve identification and monitoring of anxiety symptoms, potentially leading to more targeted interventions and support strategies.

Study was conducted entirely online which may introduce selection bias. No comparison with other anxiety measures or clinical validation was reported. Split-half reliability results were not specified. Some subdimension reliability coefficients were at the lower acceptable range (0.66-0.80).

Accurate assessment of anxiety symptoms in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be challenging due to the lack of appropriate assessment tools. This study aimed to adapt the Anxiety Scale for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder- Parent Version into Turkish (referred to as ASC-ASD-P-TR) to enable parents to assess anxiety in children with ASD. This methodological study was conducted between October 2023 and March 2024 with parents of children diagnosed with ASD aged 8-15 years. 371 parents participated in the study. Data were collected online.

Content validity, construct validity, internal reliability and split-half reliability. were examined. The construct of the ASC-ASD-P-TR, which consists of four dimensions (Performance, Separation, Arousal, and Uncertainty) and 24 items, was validated in Turkish. The scale has a score range between 24 and 96, and an increase in score means an increase in anxiety. The total variance explained by the scale is 61%.

Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient for the overall scale is 0.94. In the sub-dimensions of the scale, Cronbach’s alpha value was between 0.66 and 0.80. The ASC-ASD-P-TR is a valid and reliable measurement tool for assessing anxiety in children with ASD in Turkiye.