Why do ASDB students have to take standardized tests that were developed and normed on sighted and hearing students?
The incidence of vision impairment and hearing impairment is low. There are not enough students in these categories to justify the expense of developing a standardized test normed only for these populations. For this reason, special educators and school psychologists across the USA use evaluation instruments that are appropriate and provide information about a students educational level, even though the test was not developed specifically for that population. In any report about such evaluations, the teacher or school psychologist explaining the results provides information about the validity of the test and what the impact of a sensory impairment on test results.
