The THE DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF THE FORMAN DYSLEXIA SCREENING CHECKLIST: A CULTURALLY RELEVANT TOOL FOR EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF DYSLEXIA IN PAKISTANI STUDENTS

Abstract

Dyslexia, a Neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties in reading, spelling, and word recognition, poses significant educational challenges globally. This study involved developing the Forman Dyslexia Screening Checklist, incorporating insights from local educators and psychologists to ensure cultural and linguistic relevance. Mixed-methods approach was employed, including qualitative interviews from experts in the field who had more than 3 years of experience and had dealt with with more then 3 cases of dyslexia for item generation and quantitative analyses for validation. The checklist was tested on a sample of 188 participants (N= 188; n = 130 diagnosed dyslexia, n = 58 no diagnosis)using purposive sampling technique. The checklist was administered by teachers and school psychologists. The children were between the ages of 5-12 years, incorporating double blind method for administration of the checklist. The checklist demonstrated excellent reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.997) and strong construct validity, evidenced by a robust uni-dimensional structure identified through exploratory factor analysis. The results of independent samples t-test were significant which indicate that the Forman Dyslexia Screening Checklist effectively identifies dyslexia symptoms, distinguishing between dyslexic and non-dyslexic individuals with significant accuracy. The study highlights the critical need for early identification and intervention, advocating for the integration of dyslexia screening checklist into the educational framework to identify and support students with dyslexia. The research underscores the importance of culturally adapted screening methods and provides a foundation for future studies to further validate and refine the checklist across diverse contexts.