An assessment of the cognitive abilities of multiply handicapped children: adaptations of the Uzgiris and Hunt scales and their use with children in Britain and Singapore

摘要

SummaryEducational achievement is measured by many forms of assessment. The assessment of some children, and disabled children, has elicited much concern and debate. In particular, problems have arisen with test design, construction, administration and recording. In the West, legislation and public opinion have drawn attention to the need to provide more suitable measuring instruments. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the use of an adapted assessment procedure for monitoring educational achievement and progress. A study is discussed where the major aim is to use situations which are both stimulating and which most closely resembled the children's natural settings, in order to elicit communication and language skills. The study is being carried out in Singapore with a group of multiply handicapped children. The adaptations to the administration of the test enable the examiner to note the behaviour as it occurs rather than look for expected behaviours. It is possible then to record behaviours at a later stage. The results of the study show that it is possible to elicit the required responses from a group of children who are diagnosed as multiply handicapped and whose competencies are difficult to assess. In the original research in Britain, with a large group of multiply handicapped children, there was evidence of reliability, validity and ordinality in the children's responses. Analysis of these children's scores showed patterns of responses inconsistent with a popular view of development. This paper describes the Singapore study and the original study upon which it is based.