Reply to Neuropsych Testing - understanding the results

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]For most of the tests, the average is 100 and the standard deviation is 15. I'd look to see what scores are more than 2 SDs from the mean (so below 70 or above 130) and then make sure I understood the implications of that.[/quote]

In addition to this, I'd compare scores and sub scores within and across all tests, looking at places where there was a difference of more than 22 points (on the tests which have 3 digit scores) and more than 3 points (on the tests which have single digit scores.  The significance of testing lies not just in how far from the median a student is but also in significant discrepancies among abilities and/or achievement.  A kid who has a 115 verbal IQ should not have a 85 in reading comprehension. School will tell you that both scores are "average" (although one is "high average" and one is "low average), that is a significant discrepancy of 30 points where IQ indicates good verbal ability and achievement is significantly below ability (suspicious).  Similarly, a kid with a Perceptual Reasoning Index score of 10 but who has a Block Design score of 15 and a Visual Puzzles score of 5 may appear to have "average" perceptual reasoning overall, but actually has an extremely wide significant difference in sub scores that makes the overall average meaningless. [/quote]

Is it true that if you have at least 20 points between verbal IQ and written IQ that indicates a learning disability.  [/quote]

There is no “written IQ”. Perhaps you are referring to a discrepancy between verbal IQ and achievement scores that have to do with writing. Yes, a significant discrepancy of 22 points or morebetween verbal IQ and written achievement can indicate a “disorder of written expression” AKA “dysgraphia”, which is a kind of SLD.

Do not think that a PP is correct when theysay that a writing disorder cannot be diagnosed if the writing the achievement score is in the average range even with a significant discrepancy. My DC had a GAI of 144 with an OWLS 2 written expression score of 91. Even though the score of 91 is considered “average“, because of the significant discrepancy of 53 points, he was diagnosed with a “disorder written expression“. He was determined eligible for an IEP at public school with accommodations and special instruction in writing. The discrepancy made it difficult for him to express himself in writing at a level that was anywhere close to his IQ. So, whether or not someone is “below average“ is not necessarily a requirement to be diagnosed with an SLD.[/quote]

I think to some measure this is going to be psychologist and context dependent. If the child has a 50 point discrepancy and is struggling they may get a diagnosis. A 50 point discrepancy where they are happily going to school and learning to do the age appropriate things isn’t a problem. I think psychologists also think about treatment and intervention. Is there one? Would standard dyslexia or dysgraphia interventions help? If so the psych might give the diagnosis to enable access to those interventions at school. But if the child is reading/writing in the 50th percentile those interventions may or may not be appropriate (depending on why - some kids read at the 50th percentile because they are able to memorize so many words, but they can’t decode, which is going to bite them eventually). What the parent might really want is acceleration, or access to instruction above grade level. That is harder to get access to.[/quote]

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