Cognitive Assessment in Special Populations Flashcards

When test results conflict with adaptive behavior data in diagnosing intellectual disability, the clinician should:

Answer: Integrate both IQ and adaptive functioning per diagnostic criteria

ID diagnosis requires both significantly low IQ and deficits in adaptive functioning.

An examiner notices an examinee with anxiety rushing and skipping items. The best response is to:

Answer: Provide reassurance and re-establish standardized pacing

Supporting the examinee while keeping standardized procedures preserves validity.

Which is a key reason to use the most current Wechsler edition with special populations?

Answer: Updated norms and content reduce bias and reflect current population performance

Current editions provide more representative norms and reduce outdated or biased content.

For an examinee with a reading disability, a low score on a subtest requiring reading instructions likely reflects:

Answer: The reading demand rather than the targeted cognitive ability

Subtest demands unrelated to the construct (like reading) can confound interpretation.

Interpreter use during verbal subtests is problematic because:

Answer: Translation can alter item difficulty and invalidate norms

Translating standardized items changes their psychometric properties and can invalidate norm comparisons.

Which combination best supports a valid special-population evaluation?

Answer: Multiple data sources including history, observation, and collateral information

Best practice triangulates test data with history, behavioral observation, and collateral input.

Reporting a cognitive profile rather than a single IQ for a special-needs examinee is preferred because it:

Answer: Highlights relative strengths and weaknesses to guide intervention

A profile of strengths and weaknesses is more useful for planning supports than one global number.