Uses and abuses of the ITPA

Abstract

This paper describes the circumstances leading to the development of the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA) and discusses the malpractices in administration, scoring, and interpretation of the test. Certain relevant research endeavors are summarized and evaluated. These include (1) equivalence of the experimental and research editions, (2) outcomes and pitfalls of factor analysis, (3) the relationship of ITPA scores tothose of the WISC and Stanford-Binet, (4) ethnic differences shown on the ITPA, (5) differences among groups of atypical children, and (6) ITPA correlates of reading disabilities. A critique is presented regarding the misuse of the ITPA with subjects beyond the range of the norms and possible uses of the test in areas for which it was not originally intended. Emphasis is placed on the major use of the test as being a clinical indicator in determining differential abilities and disabilities (intraindividual differences) among cognitive, perceptual, and memory functions in young children.