School eval results help

[yellowlilies]

Hi-
So dd (7, ADHD-inattentive type with a brother with autism) finally had her full eval. I'm hoping for some support with interpreting the results.

She has the WISC-IV (which my friend says is outdated?). Her scores were:
-verbal comprehension 116 (86%)
-perceptual reasoning 90 (25%)
-working memory 104 (61%)
-processing speed 106 (66%)
-full scale 106 (66%)

Verbal comprehension sub test (8-11 average)
-similarities 13
-vocabulary 13
-conprehension 13
(All 84th percentile)

Perceptual reasoning subtests (8-11 average)
-block design 6 (9th %)
-picture concepts 10 (50th %)
- matrix reasoning 9 (37th %)

Working memory subtests (8-11 average)
-digit span 11 (63%)
-letter-number sequencing 11 (63%)

Processing speed subtests (8-11 average)
-coding 11 (63%)
-symbol search 11 (63%)

On the WIAT-III she scored average in most areas except math problem solving (standard score 85 and percentile 16) and pseudoword decoding (standard score 80 and percentile rank 9th).

On the BRIEF- the only significant area noted by the teacher was "initiate." Indicating trouble initiating problem solving and initiating activity The parent scale has elevated scores for initiate, working memory, plan/organize, organization of materials and monitor. Those were all in the 97-99%. Her Metacognition index score was in the 99% and her global executive composite was in the 98%

So while she is generally testing average in most area- there are some discrepancies. The school is willing to do a 504 plan but I'm lost on what I should ask for and what these results are showing. Thank you for any help you can provide!

I'm posting from my phone so I apologize for any silly autocorrects or misspellings

[mrsbuttinski]

Feb 25, 2015 21:01:22 GMT -5 yellowlilies said:

Hi-
So dd (7, ADHD-inattentive type with a brother with autism) finally had her full eval. I'm hoping for some support with interpreting the results.

She has the WISC-IV (which my friend says is outdated?). Her scores were:
-verbal comprehension 116 (86%)
-perceptual reasoning 90 (25%)
-working memory 104 (61%)
-processing speed 106 (66%)
-full scale 106 (66%)

Verbal comprehension sub test (8-11 average)
-similarities 13
-vocabulary 13
-conprehension 13
(All 84th percentile)

Perceptual reasoning subtests (8-11 average)
-block design 6 (9th %)
-picture concepts 10 (50th %)
- matrix reasoning 9 (37th %)

Working memory subtests (8-11 average)
-digit span 11 (63%)
-letter-number sequencing 11 (63%)

Processing speed subtests (8-11 average)
-coding 11 (63%)
-symbol search 11 (63%)

Did the school psychologist not go over these with you? You can call and ask for an interpretation. WISC is a snapshot of where your DD was on a given day. Why does your friend think the test is "outdated"? Is it because the WISC V is available?
 
TBH, these products get revised from time to time but that doesn't necessarily make the older version invalid. These are products that bring their publishers big bucks. While I'm sure some of the enhancements are done to bring the test further in line with current educational and developmental theories, some of the changes are about selling a whole new set of tests. Pearson's claims around the latest iteration are that it can be scored using a tablet, that a FSIQ can be determined 10 minutes faster than with IV, more coverage of cognitive processing, visual processing, changes in the rules about stopping the test,reporting the information under 5 headings instead of 4, etc. Some of this might have benefited your DD, most would have made it more convenient for the person giving and scoring the test.


Is the bolded her Full Scale IQ? What were the performance and verbal IQs reported? Is the more than one std dev between these?


TBH, these looks like very typical scores- very average. The only outlier I see are the Block design which is pulling down the Perceptual Reasoning subset scores which still remain average. Remember these are bell curve scores 38% is still an average score here not an F as it would be in grading. The link below breaks down the antecedents to high/low results on the WISC subscores. FYI- inattention can be associate with poor results in Block Design.


www.cengage.com/resource_uploads/downloads/0495097152_171772.pdf



On the WIAT-III she scored average in most areas except math problem solving (standard score 85 and percentile 16) and pseudoword decoding (standard score 80 and percentile rank 9th).

I'm not as familiar with WIAT-III, but the scores you are reported are considered "low average" on this test.

On the BRIEF- the only significant area noted by the teacher was "initiate." Indicating trouble initiating problem solving and initiating activity The parent scale has elevated scores for initiate, working memory, plan/organize, organization of materials and monitor. Those were all in the 97-99%. Her Metacognition index score was in the 99% and her global executive composite was in the 98%

So you and the teacher are only both seeing "initiate" as an issue. Sometimes the structure and routine of the classroom, versus home, enables a child to perform better around executive function. DS's resource teacher did the last big triennial with us; she had him for 3 years by this time and DS is the rare sort of kid who is behaviorally better at home than school. If your DD is holding it together at school, the teacher might not being seeing things that you do especially if she's a people pleaser by nature which is common in girls who have sibs with special needs.

So while she is generally testing average in most area- there are some discrepancies.


It doesn't look as if there's anything remarkable here. Aside from the ADHD, she's great. 


One thing that strikes me, and I'm no professional, is the possibility of NLD as a learning profile. Nonverbal Learning Disability (fyi- it's not considered a true learning disability/difference in the U.S. under IDEA, most docs and educators consider it more like a learning style) is common thing with those on spectrum- two hallmarks are difficult with spatial skills and lower performance around math than would be expected given IQ. In the olden days, before the Autism Epidemic, it was not unusual for a girl with Aspergers to get a NLD dx first in much the same way boys got an ADHD one so it was talked about a lot on forums back in the day. It's a rare school that will even consider this as a dx or address it. 

www.nldontheweb.org/nldentrylevelreading/nldcharacteristics.html

The school is willing to do a 504 plan but I'm lost on what I should ask for and what these results are showing. Thank you for any help you can provide!

This testing doesn't seem to scream obvious accommodations. Look at your DD as a student, what do you feel she needs to be successful in the class? What do her grades look like? 


The only two points that draw my attention are the math and the initiate for now. Does she need math support or differentiated instruction. Are her grades such that RTI is needed at this point? Or was her math score a function of a math curriculum that isn't aligned with WIAT-III? Is the initiate coming from a real deficit in this area or is it related to being a perfectionist who fears making a wrong move or even a kid who is seeking attention?

The EF stuff is hard to test at this age. The bar is still pretty low for expectations for the age group. This could look different around 4th grade or middle school. You might need to revisit it at that point.

I'm posting from my phone so I apologize for any silly autocorrects or misspellings