Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology

First Advisor

Nahanni Freeman, PhD

Second Advisor

Daniel Rodriguez, PsyD

Third Advisor

Kristie Knows His Gun, PsyD

Abstract

Deficiencies in cultural sensitivity among popular psychological assessment instruments can have significant consequences for diverse test takers, leading to inaccurate diagnosis, treatment planning, and intervention. The present study aimed to explore possible differences in mean raw scale scores between an AI/AN adolescent sample and BASC-3 SRP-A and TRS-A normative sample data, as well as to establish preliminary evidence to suggest an increased prevalence of social/emotional dysfunction for AI/AN adolescents diagnosed with multiple specific learning disabilities (SLDs). Archival BASC-3 SRP-A and TRS-A data, collected from students and teachers at a residential school for American Indian / Alaska Native (AI/AN) adolescents from 2016 to 2023 for the purpose of evaluating students for eligibility to receive special education services, was used to compare raw scale score means between our AI/AN adolescent sample and the readily available BASC-3 normative sample data. Raw scale score means were also compared within our AI/AN adolescent sample between participants with varying numbers of comorbid SLDs (0-3). Findings revealed that students in the AI/AN adolescent sample were significantly more likely than the BASC-3 normative sample to experience low self-esteem, poorer self-reliance, and a sense of inadequacy. However, students in the AI/AN sample with more SLDs did not tend to display significantly more comorbid psychological distress than those with fewer SLDs. These findings highlight the importance of culturally sensitive assessment practices with AI/AN populations, raising questions about how cultural factors might impact the relationship between SLDs and comorbid psychopathology for AI/AN adolescents.

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