Adapting projective tests for minority children

Child abuse reporting laws have placed new demands upon law enforcement, human service agencies, and clinicians alike. For the clinician, these demands are compounded when minority children are involved. Few of the standardized measures seem to fit all cultural groups. In our situation the cultural mix involves Hispanic, Mexican, and American Indian children. We found a combination of two projectives, the Draw-A-Person/Draw-A-Family and the Thematic Apperception Test, to fit our multicultural needs. Specifically, we use the D-A-P drawings of the child and his/her family as "plates" and then apply the TAT "tell me a story about this picture" technique.