Examiner Familiarity Effects for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

The authors examined the difference in standardized test performance when familiar versus unfamiliar examiners tested 26 preschool and elementary-aged children with autism. The children were matched by age, severity, and developmental level and then randomly placed into familiar and unfamiliar examiner groups. Familiarity with the examiner was established before test administration for children in the treatment group. Both groups were administered 2 subscales of the Psychoeducational Profile-Revised. There was a statistically significant difference in favor of the children tested by the familiar examiners on the cognitive verbal subscale (d = .43) and on the cognitive performance subscale (d = .47), indicating that examiner familiarity had positive effects on the test performance of children with autism. Given these results, it appears that professionals who are responsible for administering standardized tests to children with autism should make pretest contact with these children to reduce test procedure bias.

Keywords:

• autism
• familiarity
• test administration
• test bias
• assessment
• validity

Acknowledgments

Julia E. Szarko is now at the Central Bucks School District, Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

This report is based on the dissertation of the first author that was supervised by Professors John Salvia, Joseph French, Robert Hale, and Robert Stevens. The contributions of professors Salvia, French, Hale, and Stevens are gratefully acknowledged.