The Pediatrician and Psychometric Testing
Peter B. Rosenberger MD1
1 Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, and Associate Neurologist and Pediatrician and Director of the Learning Disorders Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
Because of the importance of developmental disabilities in today's pediatric practice, familiarity with psychometric testing is essential to the modern pediatrician. It is unfortunate that pediatric training programs include so little instruction in this area. However, the subject is largely relevant to outpatient practice, and perhaps better taught at the postgraduate level.
Psychometric tests are essentially observations of behavior, a proper part of the clinical examination. The pediatrician should develop a repertoire of office tests of intellectual aptitude and achievement, using simple materials and readily available developmental norms.
Indications for formal psychometric testing have been discussed. Representative tests in each major category were reviewed briefly with a comparison of relative strengths and weaknesses, and the proper uses of psychometric test results as laboratory data in the diagnostic workup have been presented.
