7 - The Kaufman Assessment Battery in South Africa

Summary

During the 1970s and 1980s, the dominance of intelligence quotient (IQ) tests, and users’ dissatisfaction with their validity, led to the development of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) in the USA to address cultural biases in assessments (Kaufman & Kaufman, 1983a; 1983b; Kaufman, Lichtenberger, Fletcher-Janzen & Kaufman, 2005; Miller & Reynolds, 1984). According to Clauss-Ehlers (2009, p.557), ‘The K-ABC's theoretical underpinnings and its fairness in assessing children from diverse minority groups sets it apart from traditional IQ tests, notably those developed from the Binet and Wechsler traditions.’ The test was designed to be used in psychological, psychoeducational and neuropsychological assessments (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2004). It is based on Sperry's cerebral lateralisation theory, as well as Luria's cognitive processing theory (Kaufman et al., 2005). The K-ABC was published in 1983 and the KABC-II in 2004. This second edition was developed in response to criticisms of a theoretical and conceptual nature (Kamphaus & Reynolds, 1987; Kaufman & Kaufman, 2004).

Kamphaus (1993) cites research (Bracken, 1989; Obringer, 1988) that demonstrates that the K-ABC has been a widely used instrument, second only to the Wechsler scales. This may be ascribed to various features of the battery: specifically, the inclusion of ‘teaching items’ in the subtests to ensure that the task is understood; a variety of developmental levels and novel test items; ease of administration; a strong theoretical basis; and the use of photographs in some items. Negative features of the K-ABC include floor and ceiling effects, and the debate surrounding whether the Mental Processing Composite (MPC) measures its intended processes (Kamphaus, 1993). These criticisms were addressed in the revised edition, the KABC-II (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2004).

Extensive research literature exists for the K-ABC, and focuses on both the psychometric properties of the measure as well as its use in an applied setting. In South Africa, from a psychological assessment perspective, the K-ABC is not a restricted test (HPCSA, no date) and it appears in a survey of instruments utilised by South African psychologists (Foxcroft, Paterson, Le Roux & Herbst, 2004). No research into the extent of the use of the K-ABC amongst psychologists, educationists and allied health professionals exists in this country.