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67 Are these familiar words? Analyzing the utility of a new Spanish verbal memory test for children in North Texas
- Jessica Orobio, Monica Garza Saenz, Ana Hernandez, Angela Canas, Veronica Bordes Edgar, Morgan McCreary, Lana Harder, Joy Neumann
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 742-743
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Objective:
The American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology’s (AACN) Relevance 2050 Initiative goals highlight the need for new assessment methods that are inclusive of the rising heterogeneous population in the US. In 2022, the Texas Education Agency reported that approximately 20% of the student population in Texas public schools are English learners (ELs), and approximately 90% of them are Spanish-speaking. In an effort to address the need for more Spanish cognitive measures normed in the US, a pediatric neuropsychology research team in North Dallas developed the Spanish Verbal Memory Test for Children (SVMT-C). To assist with establishing its validity, this study aims to corroborate that the words chosen for the list are familiar to children of different cultural backgrounds in North Texas.
Participants and Methods:Enrollment of healthy, Spanish-speaking children between 6.0 and 17.11 years old within the Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW) metroplex began in January 2022 and continues to date. Study participation entails completing an in-person testing session with the child, while the parent/legal guardian completes a word-related survey along with other forms. The parent survey asks parents to indicate their child’s knowledge of 45 words (15 are target words). The testing session with the child includes completion of several cognitive tests (e.g., SVMT-C, EOWPVT-4:SBE) and a posttest survey that measures the child’s knowledge of the target words on the SVMT-C. The EOWPVT-4:SBE was used to estimate vocabulary level in Spanish to support proficiency determinations.
Results:To date, 23 parent-child dyads have participated in the study, and 7 different countries of origin are represented in the overall sample. Data of children who earned SS<85 in Spanish on the vocabulary test were omitted, leaving the pediatric sample at n=20. Ages ranged between 6.2 and 15.2 years old. Eighteen children were bilingual, one was monolingual, and one was multilingual. Only Spanish-speaking parents completed the Spanish Verbal Memory Test Survey, leaving the parent sample at n=21. The child survey revealed that 95% of the children (19 of 20) knew all 15 target words; only one 6-year-old child did not know a word, which contradicted their parent’s report. The parent survey revealed that 90% of parents reported their child knew all 15 target words and 100% of parents reported their child knew 14 of 15 words; only two parents (19 of 21) were unsure if their child knew one of the words but the child then earned a score of 100% on their survey.
Conclusions:Creating a verbal memory measure in Spanish for use in the US presents a set of unique challenges because of the variability in terminology that exists in the language. Lack of familiarity with terminology may influence performance and invalidate results. In this endeavor, the goal was to recognize these nuances and create a relevant measure that uses common words for Spanish-speaking children regardless of cultural background. Thus far, the data supports the appropriateness of the words listed in the SVMT-C with a 100% familiarity rate among children ages 7 to 15 years old.
38 ¿Gustaría participar? - Recruitment of Spanish-speaking families for a pediatric neuropsychology study in North Texas
- Monica Garza Saenz, Jessica Orobio, Joy Neumann, Ana Hernandez
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, p. 450
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- Article
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- You have access Access
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Objective:
Hispanics account for approximately 19% of the US population and are the second largest ethnic group in the United States, yet they remain underrepresented in neuropsychology research. Common recruitment barriers include language, fear/mistrust, and unfamiliarity with neuropsychology. These recruitment challenges then interfere with the development of measures normed on Spanish-speaking Hispanics. The research team for a Spanish-based neuropsychological study at a pediatric medical setting in North Texas utilized several methods to maximize recruitment of Hispanics and identify the most successful strategies. It was hypothesized that internal recruitment efforts would have the best outcome.
Participants and Methods:Recruitment of healthy Spanish-speaking children between 6.0 and 17.11 years old began in October 2021 and continues to date. Participants have been recruited within the Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW) metroplex using internal efforts within the pediatric medical center and external efforts in the community-at-large. Internal recruitment efforts have included: 1) setting up flyers at 19 different ambulatory clinics, 2) emailing study flyer to several internal groups, and 3) sharing information during a Hispanic workgroup meeting. Community-based efforts have included collaborating with: 1) a Spanishimmersion private elementary school (i.e., shared information with parents via email and sent flyers home with students), 2) three mental health colleagues (i.e., displayed study flyers within their clinic space and promoted study through word-of-mouth), 3) a local city council (i.e., featured flyer in electronic newsletter), and 4) a non-profit community organization (i.e., shared information and flyer through mass-text messages, social media post, and mass email to subscribers).
Results:To date, 74 parent-child pairs have made one-time contact with the research team to inquire about the study and 55 have completed a second contact with initial screener by phone (19 lost to follow up). Of the screened families, 58% heard of the study through the non-profit organization, 31% through the Spanish-immersion private school, and 11% from internal recruitment efforts.
Conclusions:Although we hypothesized that internal -based recruitment within the medical institution would be most fruitful, our findings did not support this hypothesis. A possible explanation could be that children recruited from medical clinics may not meet criteria for participation in our study (i.e., healthy children). Another possible reason may be that flyer-based recruitment in a medical clinic is too passive or impersonal. Recruitment through community organizations with sources known and trusted by participants was found to be the most successful method to recruit potential participants. Considering these findings, our approach to recruitment will move away from passive and indirect methods of recruitment (i.e., flyers in clinics) and emphasize alliance with community-based organizations to promote trust building and collaborative relationships between researchers, community organizations, and Hispanic research participants.