Ms Vanessa Edwige1, Dr Liz Vuletich2,3, Ms Jody Kamminga3,4
1Australian Indigenous Psychologist Association, Australia, 2MindLink, West Perth, Australia, 3Australian Psychological Society College of Clinical Neuropsychologists, Australia, 4University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Biography:
Vanessa, a Ngarabal woman and Registered Psychologist, has worked for most of her career providing culturally responsive psychological support with Aboriginal children, young people, families and community. Among many other roles, Vanessa is Chair of the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association. Liz, a non-Indigenous clinical neuropsychologist, has worked for 16 years in the medico-legal setting and is a Director of Mindlink. Jody, a non-Indigenous clinical neuropsychologist, has practiced for a decade, and is a current PhD candidate investigating decolonising neuropsychology practice. Together, Vanessa, Liz and Jody form part of a national decolonising neuropsychology working group.
Abstract:
As a sub-speciality within psychology, neuropsychology is founded on Western knowledges including empiricism, positivism, and individualism, posing a risk to culturally safe practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients (Dudgeon, Rickwood, et al., 2014; Dudgeon, Milroy & Walker, 2014). Historically, the emergence of the intelligence testing movement in Australia (Porteus, 1931) was used to support oppressive educational, vocational, and social policies for Aboriginal people (Dodson 1994; Dudgeon, Rickwood et al., 2014). Today, neuropsychological assessment with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples remains highly contentious, yet shifting practice toward a decolonised approach that considers an Indigenous perspective remains a challenge. In the legal sphere, expert evidence is expected to be scientifically robust, yet neuropsychological theories and test use based on Western knowledges and approaches is often taken at face value, without questioning assessment approach or test validity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. This poses significant and arguably unacceptable ethical risks for the clinician, client, and legal system. Our presentation will outline the harms of universally applying a Western and Eurocentric lens to neuropsychological tests, assessment, and clinical formulation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. We will demonstrate the critical need for neuropsychology practice to shift to a decolonised approach when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. We will end with posing a series of practical questions that attendees can put to neuropsychology experts when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients.