Development and cultural adaptation of the Saudi pediatric speech intelligibility test.

Objectives: To report the development and administration of the Saudi pediatric speech intelligibility (SPSI) test.

Methods: This study was carried out at King Abdullah Ear Specialist Center, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between 2021 and 2023. A pilot study was carried out in 5 regions of Saudi Arabia including 100 normal hearing children aged 7-11 years old, with 20 children from each region. The final test materials were voice-recorded by a native Saudi radio announcer, and a software-based application for administering the SPSI was developed.

Results: During the pilot study, minor adjustments were carried out to the test for more clarity. The developed SPSI software is an android-based application that includes features like automatic result calculation, data saving, and individual user accounts for examiners to review results. The SPSI test comprises 4-word cards and 2 sentence cards, each with 5 pictures, and operates in 3 modes: quiet, background noise, and competing sentences.

Conclusion: The SPSI test has been developed in an android-based software using the Saudi local dialects. It can facilitate comprehensive and accurate assessment of speech intelligibility, particularly in children with hearing impairments.