Intelligence test may disadvantage children with foreign background

In Örebro, Sweden, the intelligence test WISC, often used in assessing potential intellectual disabilities, may disadvantage children with foreign backgrounds, according to psychologist Arild Werling. He states that the tests are developed and tested on Western children, making some questions harder for those raised in different cultural contexts. The Swedish National Agency for Education reports that the proportion of students with foreign backgrounds is higher in adapted compulsory schools (45%) than in regular compulsory schools (27%), with Örebro municipality having an even higher proportion in adapted schools than the national average.

The agency notes it is difficult to know why this is, as municipalities do not analyze the development. For placement in an adapted compulsory school, a diagnosis of intellectual disability is required, set by a psychologist using standardized tests like WISC, with input from doctors and other professionals. Werling and other psychologists in Örebro county see challenges with the tests due to cultural biases, such as questions on European cultural traditions, though he emphasizes that WISC is objective and reliable, and the diagnosis should include holistic assessments with observations and interviews.

He acknowledges a risk of incorrect diagnoses for children with foreign backgrounds, supported by research, but says it should be small if assessments are done correctly with multiple tools. The municipality conducts its own investigation before admitting a child to an adapted school, involving pedagogical, psychological, medical, and social assessments, with all parts required for admission.