Specific tests have been developed to find answers to the many questions that you or others might have about your child. Special consideration should be observed when testing language minority and culturally different children. A language minority child is one whose first language is not English and who is not fluent in English. A culturally different child is one who lives in a home where the customs and values may be markedly different from the majority of the children in the social group used by the test as the basis for the comparison. Such children may even have been raised in another county.
Tests give information in the form of comparisons with other children of the same age.
If your child's language and culture differ from those of the children he or she is being compared with, the comparisons may suggest conclusions that are not accurate. For example, if your child does not understand English well, test scores may not be correct. The examiner might incorrectly conclude your child has a problem in the area measured by the test. Test items may also relate to experiences that are unfamiliar to a culturally different child. For example, in some cultures children are taught to respond to adults with short answers.