First do no Harm. Culturally-Appropriate Neuropsychological Assessment for Indigenous People: A Position Paper

Abstract

This paper outlines some of the issues that arise when neuropsychologists, usually white, are faced with carrying out neuropsychological assessments on indigenous people. Whilst the focus is on the New Zealand situation and the assessment of Maori, it is suggested that some of the issues and possibly some of the solutions will provide a useful starting point for other countries, including Australia, where indigenous people have been colonised and as a result are over-represented in many of the negative statistics. New Zealand is in a transition stage where the number of indigenous clinical psychologists and neuropsychologists is growing but is still very small. Even when there are enough Maori neuropsychologists to serve the needs of Maori clients, there will still be situations when Maori prefer to be seen by a white neuropsychologist, or when a white neuropsychologist is the only professional available with the appropriate expertise related to the assessment of a particular disorder. It is therefore our professional responsibility to develop knowledge and skills that will assist us to carry out culturally-fair assessments which can lead to a better outcome for the client, and at the very least can reduce the harm done by an insensitive and invalid assessment.