oa The utilization of a U.S. Assessment, the Oregon project, on Arabic speaking pre-school students who are blind or visually impaired

One reason why developmental delays and specific language disabilities are grossly under-identified outside of the U.S. is the absence of locally developed norm-referenced assessment tools for its multilingual and multicultural population (Ooi & Wong, 2012). As a result, there is a paucity of both quantitative and qualitative data on assessing developmental and language delays in different languages and cultural environments. Infancy and early childhood are crucial periods for the development of motor, cognitive, and socio-emotional skills. Many children fail to reach their developmental potential in these areas, affecting later academic achievement and adult life. (Grantham-McGregor, et al., 2007). This is further exacerbated for children with a disability; therefore it is of paramount importance to establish valid assessments and interventions in all developmental areas in order to reach their full potential (Unesco, 2012; World Health Organization, 2007). We utilized a quasi-experimental research design and a dynamic assessment (test-teach-retest) to facilitate the training and instruction using the diagnostic information to increase children's learning. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of an adaptation of a U.S. early childhood developmental assessment tool for Arab speaking preschool children who are visually impaired or blind and living in the Middle East.