The Kaufman assessment battery

for children second edition

The Kaufman assessment battery for children is
a diagnostic test for assessing cognitive abilities
for children and adolescents between ages 3
years and 18 years 11 months.
Authors of the test and its country of origin

• The test was developed by Allan S. Kaufman and Nadeen L.

Kaufman in 1983 and revised in 2004. They joined forces with
Elizabeth Lichtenberger and Elaine Fletcher Janzen to produce
essentials for the Kaufman assessment battery for children
second edition.
• The KABC-II assesses various cognitive abilities, including
memory, spatial processing, language ability, and problem-
solving skills, to provide a comprehensive evaluation of a child's
cognitive functioning. It is unique in that it uses a nonverbal
approach to testing so that children whose first language is not
English or who have communication difficulties can also be
effectively tested.
 The standardization sample and the
administrative time
• The standardization sample of a psychological test refers to the group of
individuals who were administered the test during the development of
the test, in order to establish its reliability and validity. In the case of the
Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (KABC-II), the
standardization sample consisted of over 3,000 children from diverse
socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds across the United States, aged
between 3 and 18 years. The KABC-II has five main scales of cognitive
ability and several additional subtests, which vary in their administration
time. The administration time can depend on various factors such as the
skills of the examiner and the responsiveness and engagement of the
child being tested. The typical administration time of the KABC-II ranges
from 30 minutes to 90 minutes, depending on which subtests are
administered, and the age and ability level of the child being tested.
 What the test measures or the uses of the
test
• Fluid reasoning: the ability to use reasoning and problem-solving skills to solve
abstract problems.
• Crystallized knowledge: the ability to use acquired knowledge and experience to
solve problems.
• Processing speed: the ability to process information quickly and accurately.
• Nonverbal reasoning: the ability to analyze and solve problems using
visual/spatial information without relying on language.
• Memory: the ability to store and retrieve verbal and nonverbal information.
• Learning ability: the ability to acquire and retain new information.
Other uses may include psychoeducational evaluations to;
• Determine a child's intellectual strengths and weaknesses.
• Assess for learning disabilities or other developmental or cognitive disorders.
• Develop appropriate educational and treatment plans.
• Monitor progress over time and treatment efficacy.
 How the test is scored
• Raw Scores: These are the number of items or points the individual has earned
on each subtest.
• Scaled Scores: These scores are based on a standard distribution with a mean of
10 and a standard deviation of 3, with higher scores indicating better
performance than the average score.
• Percentile Ranks: These scores indicate how well the child performed when
compared to other children of the same age and are expressed as a percentage
(e.g., if a child's percentile rank is 75, it means that he/she scored better than
75% of children of the same age).
• Standard Scores: These scores are based on a standard distribution with a mean
of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, with higher scores indicating better
performance than the average score.
• Index Scores: These scores describe the child's performance on each of the five
main cognitive scales (i.e., Nonverbal, Verbal, Memory, Learning, and Processing
speed
 How it is interpreted
• Interpretation of the scores generated by the KABC-II requires a thorough
understanding of the test and its psychometric properties. A trained and licensed
psychologist or other qualified clinician can interpret the child's scores and
provide recommendations for educational and clinical interventions based on this
information.
• The interpretation of the KABC-II is based on an analysis of a child's scores on
various subtests, including Verbal Knowledge, Nonverbal Reasoning, Memory, and
Spatial Abilities. Interpretation of the scores can help assess a child's cognitive
strengths and weaknesses.
• The KABC-II also provides an overall score called the Mental Processing Index
(MPI) which is used to assess the child's overall cognitive functioning. The MPI is
based on specific subtests and is designed to help identify a child's cognitive
strengths and weaknesses.
• In conclusion, the test provides standard scores, percentile ranks, and confidence
interval information to help assess a child's cognitive abilities.