The Blind Learning Aptitude Test

Abstract

Against a general background of learning aptitude and educational achievement testing of blind children, and of basic orientation for such work, the development and nature of the Blind Learning Aptitude Test (BLAT), an individual test, are described. Standardized upon 961 widely representative educationally blind children, it had high reliability and its validity particularly with respect to the more complex school learnings was clearly indicated. It had particular value not only when its results were combined with those of the Hayes-Binet (though understandably lower when combined with those of the verbal portion of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children), but especially when used with blind children coming from backgrounds offering limited cultural nurturance.