Evaluation of auditory brainstem implant (ABI) users' auditory behavior in everyday life.

PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate the everyday listening status of pediatric ABI users using the Turkish ABEL questionnaire. METHODS: The study included 33 parents of children with auditory brainstem implant, and 28 parents of children with cochlear implant were included as a control group. All implant users were between the ages of 4-14. Parents answered the ABEL questionnaire to assess their child's auditory behavior in their daily living environment. In addition, Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) and Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) scales were used to evaluate speech perception and production. RESULTS: Auditory-aural, auditory awareness and ABEL total score of ABI users were statistically significantly lower than the CI group (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the Conversational/Social skills subgroups. It was found that as the duration of ABI use increased, auditory-verbal, social skills and total scores increased significantly. In addition, correlations were obtained between ABEL total and subscale scores and CAP and SIR scores. CONCLUSIONS: Parents believe that their children adapt nicely to ABI and are aware of environmental sounds. This study reveals the auditory, aural, and social skills of children using ABI through the regards of their parents. This study showed that the ABEL questionnaire, which was used in previous studies to express parental views of children with hearing aids and cochlear implants, can also be used for parents of children using ABI.

Validity and Reliability of Turkish Version of the Auditory Behavior in Everyday Life Questionnaire.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Auditory Behavior in Everyday Life (ABEL) questionnaire. METHOD: The ABEL questionnaire was translated into Turkish using the "back-translation" method. The study included 130 parents of children with cochlear implantation, and 126 parents of children with typical hearing were included as a control group. In the study group, there were 62 unilateral and 68 bilateral cochlear implant (CI) users. The age at implantation ranged from 1 to 10 years, as they have substantial auditory skills. The participants' parents completed the ABEL individually, and 73 parents (28, study group; 45, control group) completed the ABEL again for test-retest reliability. Construct validity was tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and internal consistency was tested using Cronbach's alpha. Spearman's correlation test was used to assess the external validity of the total and all subscales of the ABEL and the Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale (MAIS). Test-retest reliability was measured using the intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The Cronbach's α values for subscales ranged from .67 to .89, and the value was .93 (excellent) for the overall scale. External validity analyses showed moderate to strong correlations between the total and subscale scores of the ABEL and the MAIS, indicating high external validity. According to the CFA findings, the construct validity of the Turkish version of the ABEL was satisfactory. For the three-factor structure, the goodness-of-fit indices revealed a good fit, and only the normed fit index revealed an acceptable fit. CONCLUSION: The Turkish version of the ABEL is a reliable and valid assessment tool for children with CIs.