Transcript INTELLIGENCE TESTING OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BLIND OR

“Running Strong
Since 1858”
143rd Annual Meeting of APH
October 13-15, 2011
Louisville, Kentucky
IQ Testing:
Trifecta Winners are Collaboration,
Caution, and Icing on the Cake!
Marnee Loftin, M.A., School
Psychologist, TSBVI
Debbie Willis, M.A., Director of
Accessible Tests, APH
Copies of this Power Point
presentation may be produced
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as long as use is for educational
purposes and appropriate credit
is given to authors and
sponsoring organization.
INTELLIGENCE TESTING OF
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
BLIND OR VISUALLY
IMPAIRED:
A Position Paper
THE BEGINNING…
APH established a task force in
January, 2007
Asked question of task force:
“Do IQ tests provide meaningful
information for individuals with
visual impairment?”
THE ANSWER…
The Task Force responded that :
“IQ tests can provide
meaningful information for
the individual, as well as their
instructors, families, and
decision-makers.”
HOWEVER, IT IS IMPORTANT:
“…that all tests be administered
in accordance with key points
that reflect the uniqueness of
the population, as well as
appropriate cautions.”
THE TASK FORCE STARTS:
The Task Force developed a
position paper and key points
that reflect:
Appropriate preparation for
administration
Cautions in administration
Cautions in interpretation
CONTENTS OF POSITION
PAPER CONSIST OF:
PREPARATION
Administration
Specialized Training Needed
Reasons for Evaluation
Collaboration between Disciplines
Eye Conditions and Developmental
History
(Continued)
ADMINISTRATION
Adaptations
Tactile and Symbolic
Representation
(Continued)
INTERPRETATION
Qualitative interpretation
Reporting Results
POSITION STATEMENT
When appropriate practices
are followed, cognitive or
intelligence testing of
individuals who are blind or VI
provides useful and valuable
information to test-takers, their
families, instructors, and other
decision makers.
ISSUE 1: ADMINISTERING
INTELLIGENCE TESTS
GUIDELINE 1:
Intelligence test results yield
valuable information about
an individual and increase the
usefulness of the overall
evaluation.
PRIOR TO ADMINISTRATION
THE EVALUATOR MUST:
Ensure completion of
Functional Vision/Learning
Media Assessment (FV/LMA)
by a TVI or O&M Specialist
( Continued)
Understand information contained
in the FV/LMA and ways to use it
in testing:
FV discusses ways to present
materials for individual’s use of
vision
LMA discusses best media for
different tasks
(Continued)
Understand the impact of
adaptations and modifications
upon test results
Understand the importance of
making tests accessible without
change of content
Support of collaborative
evaluations for ensuring the
highest quality
SUGGESTED RESOURCE
Functional Vision
and Learning Media
Assessment (FVLMA)
FVLMA Kit: 7-96151-00
$67.00
(Grades K-12; pre-academic or
academic)
American Printing House for the Blind
ISSUE 2: SPECIALIZED
TRAINING
Guideline 2:
Those administering tests need
specialized training in theory of
assessment and test
construction as well as child
development and
communication methods of
individuals who are blind or VI.
Professional Preparation
of Evaluator must include:
Constructs of intelligence
Theory of tests and
measurement
Typical and atypical child
development
Test administration with general
and special populations
Understanding of collaborative
evaluations
The Professional Evaluator
must:
Accept the concept of
collaborative evaluation
Incorporate expertise of VI
professionals in the evaluation
process
Collaborate in all phases from
preparation for testing to report
writing
SUGGESTED RESOURCE
Collaborative Assessment:
Working with Students who are
Blind or Visually Impaired
Including Those with Additional
Disabilities
American Foundation for the Blind
ISSUE 3: REASONS FOR
EVALUATION
Guideline 3:
The reason for the evaluation,
and the resulting specific
clinical judgments and
recommendations, should be
clearly documented in each
individual’s report.
The Evaluator must:
Request information about
specific reasons for
evaluation
Avoid accepting reasons that
relate only to regulations
Specificity of these
requests will:
Improve test selection
Answer referral questions
Minimize simple reporting of
scores
Increase applicability of
results
The Recommendations
should:
Be clear to all stakeholders
Avoid professional jargon
Explain technical terms
Make recommendations that
apply to real-life situations
Focus on increasing
independence and self-advocacy
The Evaluation should not
be used as the sole
determinant of:
Cognitive abilities
Presence of additional
disabilities
Eligibility for special programs
SUGGESTED RESOURCE
Making Evaluation Meaningful:
Determining Additional
Eligibilities and Appropriate
Instructional Strategies
Texas School for the Blind and
Visually Impaired
ISSUE 4: COLLABORATION
Guideline 4:
The visual impairment and/or
rehabilitation professional,
classroom teacher, family, and
individual must be involved during
the planning, evaluation, and
report writing process.
COLLABORATIVE
EVALUATIONS WILL
ALWAYS:
Gather information from all
individuals
Actively solicit and discuss
information
View collaboration as an ongoing process
Reflect the professional
expertise of all
ISSUE 5: EYE CONDITION AND
DEVELOPMENTAL HISTORY
Guideline 5:
The evaluator should be aware of
the individual’s medical and
developmental history, as well as
the implications of the eye condition
on the tasks to be performed (and
implementation of recommendations)
Specific necessary
information includes
understanding of:
Medical history
Developmental patterns and
relationship to vision
Early intervention
Congenital vs. Adventitious
vision loss
Neurological vs. Ocular vision
problems
ISSUE 6: ADAPTATIONS
Guideline 6:
Adaptations, which include
accommodations that do not change
the concepts tested nor the difficulty
level of the test materials, should be
planned in advance in collaboration
with the visual impairment and/or
rehabilitation professional and the
test developer, and be welldocumented in the final report.
SUGGESTED RESOURCE
Developmental Guidelines for Infants
with Visual Impairments: A
Guidebook for Early Intervention, 2nd
Edition
Print with CD-ROM: 8-50701-00 $95.00
American Printing House for the Blind
ACCOMMODATIONS
SHOULD BE:
Made only to provide access to
the test taker
Planned in advance
Made in such a manner that
DOES NOT affect the basic
concept or difficulty of item
Documented in final report
ACCOMMODATION OR
MODIFICATION?
Accommodations do not affect
basic concept or difficulty, e.g.
braille or LP
Modifications affect basic
concept or difficulty, e.g. use of
calculator
Either change increases the need
for caution in interpretation of
results
ISSUE 7: TACTILE AND
SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATIONS
Guideline 7:
Symbols, tactile graphics, and
miniature objects must be
carefully considered and used
with caution to represent pictorial
or graphical information. Real
objects should be used whenever
feasible.
Visual stimuli must be
carefully analyzed to
determine
Relevance to the concept being
assessed
Stimuli that can be made
accessible
Any changes or eliminations
Appropriate use of miniature
objects unless familiarity is
ensured
ISSUE 8: DIRECT
OBSERVATION
Guideline 8:
The assessment should include
direct observation in multiple
situations.
Suggested behaviors for
observation include:
Visual efficiency
Visual fatigue
Organizational abilities required
in problem-solving
Application of O&M skills in new
environments
Presence of self-stimulatory
behaviors
Additional information
should include:
Social integration with peers
Independent initiation of
activities
Organization of tasks for
successful management and
completion
Self-advocacy skills
Self-management of
technology
ISSUE 9: QUALITATIVE
INTERPRETATION
Guideline 9:
When visual-spatial items or tests
are administered, these results
should be used only for clinical
purposes and to identify
appropriate modifications of
educational or vocational materials
and instructional methods.
(continued
)
Guideline 9 (continued)
Results obtained from visualspatial evaluations must never be
reported as scores or used to
determine the presence of other
disabilities. Important exceptions
to this guideline exist, and are
documented below.
Visual-Spatial items or tests
may be administered if:
The individual uses vision for
learning
The FV and LMA support the
presence of adequate vision for
specific items
Both the VI professional and
Evaluator agree that results
provide meaningful information
AND support the referral
question
Accommodations made to
Visual-Spatial items/test must
be:
Supported by the FV/LMA
Endorsed by both vision
professional and evaluator
Noted in the final report
Include such things as extending
time and use of CCTV during
administration
Results of performance on
Visual-Spatial items or tests
should be:
Reported qualitatively rather
than a score
Used as a source to determine
learning strengths
Used to plan meaningful
accommodations in different
environments
ISSUE 10: REPORTING
RESULTS
Guideline 10:
Reports of assessments of
individuals with visual impairments
need to be expanded to include an
explanation of the procedures
followed, changes in standardized
administration, and the description
of performance observed.
GENERAL CAUTIONS
All reports should reflect that
tests represent an estimate of
abilities
Standardization of mostfrequently administered tests
did not include persons with
visual impairments
Test results should be
reported with the Evaluator
specifying:
Intervals around the obtained
score as well as specific score
Confidence intervals at 90%
level
Specific concerns relating to
validity of scores
(continued
)
(Continued)
Any adaptations in procedures
and/or materials
Lack of norms for individual who
is blind or visually impaired and
corresponding cautions
Accommodations to provide
access are specified
REPORTING RESULTS OF
VISUAL SPATIAL TESTS
Extreme caution must be used in
reporting scores on visual spatial
tests
Generally these must be reported
qualitatively: i.e. as strengths
and weaknesses
Any questions?
Let’s talk!