Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Outreach Programs
www.tsbvi.edu |512-454-8631 | 1100 W. 45th St. | Austin, Texas 78756
2012-13 Texas Focus
Position Paper: Intelligence Testing of Individuals
who are Blind or Visually Impaired
March 31, 2013
1:30 -3:00 PM
Presented by
Marnee Loftin, School Psychologist
Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired
marneeloftin@tsbvi.edu
Developed for
Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired
Outreach Programs
Position Paper: Intelligence Testing of Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired– Loftin, 2012 – 2012-13 Texas Focus
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Position Paper:
Intelligence Testing of Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired
Marnee Loftin, MA, School Psychologist
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
THE BEGINNING…
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APH established a task force in Jan 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:
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Appropriate preparation for administration
Cautions in administration
Cautions in interpretation
Position Paper: Intelligence Testing of Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired– Loftin, 2012 – 2012-13 Texas Focus
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CONTENTS OF POSITION PAPER CONSIST OF:
PREPARATION
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Administration
Specialized Training Needed
Reasons for Evaluation
Collaboration between Disciplines
Eye Conditions and Developmental History
(Continued)
ADMINISTRATION
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Adaptations
Tactile and Symbolic Representation
(Continued)
INTERPRETATION
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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: Intelligence test results yield valuable information about an individual and increase the
usefulness of the overall evaluation.
PRIOR TO ADMINISTRATION THE EVALUATOR MUST:
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Ensure completion of Functional Vision/Learning Media Assessment (FV/LMA) by TVI or O&M
Specialist
Understand information contained in the FV/LMA and ways to use it in testing
o FV discusses ways to present materials for individual’s use of vision
o LMA discusses best media for different tasks
(Continued)
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Understand the impact of adaptations and modifications upon test results
Position Paper: Intelligence Testing of Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired– Loftin, 2012 – 2012-13 Texas Focus
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Understand the the importance of making tests accessible without change of content
Support of collaborative evaluations for ensuring the highest quality
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:
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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:
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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
ISSUE 3: REASONS FOR EVALUATION
Guideline: 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:
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Request information about specific reasons for evaluation
Avoid accepting reasons that relate only to regulations
Specificity of these requests will:
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Improve test selection
Answer referral questions
Minimize simple reporting of scores
Increase applicability of results
The Recommendations should:
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Be clear to all stakeholders
Avoid professional jargon
Explain technical terms
Make recommendations that apply to real-life situations
Position Paper: Intelligence Testing of Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired– Loftin, 2012 – 2012-13 Texas Focus
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Focus on increasing independence and self-advocacy
The Evaluation should not be used as the sole determinant of:
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Cognitive abilities
Presence of additional disabilities
Eligibility for special programs
ISSUE 4: COLLABORATION
Guideline: 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:
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Gather information from all individuals
Actively solicit and discuss information
View collaboration as an on-going 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 information necessary includes understanding of:
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Medical history
Developmental patterns and relationship to vision
Early intervention
Congenital vs. Adventitious vision loss
Neurological vs. Ocular vision problems
ISSUE 6: ADAPTATIONS
Guidelines: 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 well-documented in the
final report.
ACCOMMODATIONS SHOULD BE:
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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
Position Paper: Intelligence Testing of Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired– Loftin, 2012 – 2012-13 Texas Focus
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Documented in final report
ACCOMMODATION OR MODICATION?
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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
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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: The assessment should include direct observation in multiple situations.
Suggested behaviors for observation include:
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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:
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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: 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. Results obtained from visual-spatial evaluations must never be reported as
Position Paper: Intelligence Testing of Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired– Loftin, 2012 – 2012-13 Texas Focus
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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:
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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:
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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:
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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: 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
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All reports should reflect that tests represent an estimate of abilities
Standardization of most-frequently administered tests did not include persons with visual
impairments
Test results should be reported with the Evaluator specifying:
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Intervals around the obtained score as well as specific score
Confidence intervals at 90% level
Specific concerns relating to validity of scores
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
Position Paper: Intelligence Testing of Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired– Loftin, 2012 – 2012-13 Texas Focus
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REPORTING RESULTS OF VISUAL SPATIAL TESTS
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Extreme caution must be used in reporting scores on visual spatial tests
Generally these must be reported qualitatively, ie as strengths and weaknesses
Position Paper: Intelligence Testing of Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired– Loftin, 2012 – 2012-13 Texas Focus
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Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired
Outreach Programs
Figure 1 TSBVI logo.
"This project is supported by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special
Education Programs (OSEP). Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do
not necessarily represent the position of the U.S. Department of Education.
Figure 2 IDEA logo
Position Paper: Intelligence Testing of Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired– Loftin, 2012 – 2012-13 Texas Focus
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