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Intelligence Testing Of American Indian Children: Sidesteps In Quest Of Ethical Practice, Richard H. Dana

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

Previous literature reviews are updated. Recent findings impugn the WISC-R internal consistency and document item bias for American Indian children. A pattern of Spatial > Sequential > Conceptual > Acquired Knowledge holds across ages, tribes, and heterogeneous referral sources, except for acculturated children. Kaufman's three factors are replaced by Verbal and Performance factors for Papago and Navajo children. A culturally-learned basis for intellectual functioning among traditional children supports alternative assessment functions for traditional reservation lifestyle and for acculturation and entree into mainstream society. Performance measures, SOMPA, Piagetian and Luria-derived tasks may ultimately provide less biased intelligence estimates. Recent legislation outlines ethical practice although …