Overview
The Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test – Second Edition (UNIT-2; Bracken & McCallum, 2015) is an individually-administered, norm-referenced measure of general intelligence and three foundational cognitive abilities- memory, fluid reasoning, and quantitative reasoning. It is for children and adolescents between 5 and 21 years, 11 months. The UNIT-2 administration and response format is entirely nonverbal. This makes the UNIT-2 useful for assessing students regardless of their English proficiency, hearing, cultural background, or language skills. As such, the UNIT-2 provides a fair assessment of culturally and linguistically different examinees. The UNIT-2 offers three administration options: Abbreviated Battery (10–15 minutes), Standard Battery (45–60 minutes), and Full Scale Battery (45–60 minutes). Six subtests (Symbolic Memory, Nonsymbolic Quantity, Analogic Reasoning, Spatial Memory, Numerical Series, and Cube Design) are available.
Compared with its predecessor, the normative sample has been updated, and an upward extension of normative tables though age 21 years, 11 months has been added. It is noteworthy that the UNIT (first edition) has been criticized because it was not user friendly and required extra time for the practitioner to become proficient in its administration (Fives & Flanagan, 2002).
Summary
Age: 5 years 0 months to 21 years 11 months
Time to Administer: 10-45 minutes (depending on administration of abbreviated, standard, or extended batteries)
Method of Administration: Individually administered, norm-referenced measure of general intelligence; nonverbal administration and response
Yields standard scores (M = 100, SD = 15), scaled scores (M = 10, SD = 3) percentile ranks, descriptive classifications, composite and subtest comparisons (difference value, base rates)
Subscales: Overall Composite: Full Scale Index
Composite Scores: Memory, Reasoning, Quantitative, Abbreviated Battery, Standard Battery with Memory, Standard Battery without Memory
Subtest Scores: Symbolic Memory, Nonsymbolic Quantity, Analogic Reasoning, Spatial Memory, Numerical Series, Cube Design
Autism Related Research
None found. Although no studies of the use of the UNIT-2 for assessing persons with ASD were found, two autism-related studies focusing on its predecessor, the UNIT (Bracken, 1998) may provide some helpful information.
Aiello (2013) compared the performance of 20 children with ASD (ages 9-14 years) on the WISC-IV and the UNIT (with modifications). Findings included that even though FSIQs on the two tests were strongly correlated (r = .93), differences between the UNIT and WISC-IV were statistically significantly different, with the UNIT scores being, on average, 10.6 points higher. In a comparison of two different nonverbal intelligence tests- the UNIT and the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence-Third Edition (TONI-3; Brown, Sherbenou, & Johnsen, 1997), strong and positive correlations were found between the two tests’ scores, but performance of children with ASD was nuanced. Specifically, participants scored better on the TONI-3 (an abstract measure of intelligence) compared with the Abstract Reasoning subscale of the UNIT (a measure of both abstract reasoning and real-world knowledge).