Refinement of scale items for a screening tool for specific learning disorders in Sinhala-medium primary school children: A Delphi study

Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, and Dysgraphia are under the umbrella term Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs), which afflict 5 to 15 % of school-aged children globally. Children with SLDs experience mental health issues, social challenges, and academic underachievement. Despite the increasing awareness, Sri Lanka does not have a screening instrument that is culturally and linguistically appropriate for early identification of SLDs. This Delphi survey aimed to achieve non-statistical item reduction through consensus on the relevance, clarity, and contextual suitability of the screening tool items for primary school children. A 50-item pool was initially developed through desk reviews, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. Subsequently, a Delphi survey was conducted with a multidisciplinary panel of 15 national and international experts to improve the validity and application. In the initial round, test items were refined by quantitative analysis utilizing the Validation Ratio Grid (VRD) and the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) in addition to qualitative interviews allowing retaining, revising, or eliminating test items. The second round consisted of expert reviews on the refinements, leading to a final 39-item pool assessing abilities in arithmetic (11 items), reading (17 items), and writing (11 items). The Findings underline the need for expert consensus in establishing culturally sensitive assessments. By aligning the tool with the educational context of Sri Lanka, this study advances special education by providing a validated, reliable screening tool for early SLD detection in primary school children. Future research is focused on pilot testing, field validation, and large-scale implementation to assess the effectiveness of this tool.