To examine the child variables which may affect the validity of a screening test in a heterogeneous kindergarten, 64 kindergarten children attending an international school in Taipei, Taiwan, were screened with the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning - Revised (DIAL-R). Thirty subjects were Caucasian, 21 were Oriental, and 11 had Caucasian-Oriental parentage. Two were not classified by race. Genetic variables (sex, race), environmental variables (years in host country, parental educational level, birth order, size of family, bilingualism of child and parents, birthplace, primary language of child and parents), and the interaction of race and primary language were analyzed to ascertain their effect on the four DIAL-R scores: motor, concepts, language, and total score. The most significant genetic factor was the child's race. The most significant environmental factor was the child's primary language which is affected by parents' language(s). Of the two, language differences appeared to be the overriding factor. Significant differences are discussed. One study finding is that when using an American normed test with a heterogeneous population, local norms are advisable for interpreting the test correctly and meeting the needs of the children tested. (Author/RH)