Intelligence Assessment of Deaf Children and Adolescents who Utilize Manual Language: Best Practices of Assessors who are Experienced, Skilled, and Highly Respected in the Field of Assessment of DHH Children and Adolescents

Many deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students born to hearing parents enter the education system two academic years behind, despite early interventions, such as speech therapy, cochlear implants, and special education preschools (Marschark, 2005; Kronenberger et al., 2011). By the time a deaf child graduates from a hearing high school institution, they are frequently seven academic years behind (Miller et al., 2015). The DHH community is faced by multiple developmental disadvantages as well as threats to validity of intelligence assessment. Intelligence assessment is often a gatekeeper to a child’s opportunities and access to resources within a school setting and the mapping of care. The results of intelligence assessment tend to shape children’s Individual Education Plans (IEP) in schools and guide the interventions. Compromised results from assessments carry lifelong consequences for children who are inaccurately tested, misdiagnosed, and therefore provided suboptimal interventions and accommodations. The goal of the present investigation was to identify best practices of intelligence assessment of moderately to profoundly deaf children who rely on sign language (American Sign Language, Signed English, home signs, etc.) by interviewing seven assessor specialists. These professionals were nominated by their peers as assessors who are experienced, skilled, and highly respected in the field of assessment of DHH children and adolescents. The author hopes to advance the dissemination of best practices for intelligence assessment of moderately to profoundly deaf children in order to improve the quality of assessment and accuracy of diagnoses of DHH children and adolescents