Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences PhD student Michaela DuBay has received the 2019 Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CAPCSD) PhD scholarship. The scholarship provides $20,000 to support the completion of the PhD program.
DuBay’s dissertation is titled “Translation and Cultural Adaptation of Developmental Screening Tools.” Parent-report screening tools, used to identify children at risk for developmental concerns, are typically designed as a series of written questions that a parent answers about their child’s behavior. Such questionnaires are usually developed in English and tested with Western populations, yet the need to identify at-risk children spans linguistic and cultural boundaries. The overall aim of DuBay’s dissertation is to examine the most effective process for translating and culturally adaptating these parent-report developmental screening tools. As part of her dissertation, she will lead a comprehensive translation and cultural adaptation process for one specific screening tool, and psychometrically compare two language versions of another tool.
Linda Watson, EdD, and professor in the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, nominated DuBay for the scholarship. Watson has served as DuBay’s advisor during her time in the PhD program. Watson noted DuBay’s efforts to serve diverse families, including Spanish-speaking families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).