Cognitive Assessment in Special Populations Flashcards

A bilingual examinee should ideally be assessed:

Answer: In the language of greatest proficiency, with cultural considerations noted

Testing in the dominant language and noting cultural context improves validity.

The 'Flynn effect' is relevant in special-population diagnosis because:

Answer: It raises scores over time, so outdated norms can overestimate IQ

Rising population scores mean older norms can inflate measured IQ, affecting cutoffs like ID diagnosis.

When a hearing examinee has a severe expressive language disorder, the clinician should weight:

Answer: Nonverbal reasoning indices more in interpretation

Expressive language problems can depress verbal output, so nonverbal indices better reflect reasoning.

Practice effects are a particular concern when:

Answer: An examinee is retested within a short interval

Short retest intervals can inflate scores due to familiarity with the items.

For an examinee with selective mutism, which approach is most appropriate?

Answer: Use nonverbal subtests and alternative response modes

Nonverbal tasks and accommodations allow valid assessment without forcing speech.

A General Ability Index (GAI) may be reported instead of FSIQ when:

Answer: Working memory and processing speed are disproportionately impaired

The GAI de-emphasizes working memory and processing speed, useful when those are selectively impaired.

Confidence intervals around index scores are especially important in special populations because they:

Answer: Communicate the range likely to contain true ability given measurement error

Reporting confidence intervals acknowledges measurement error and supports cautious interpretation.