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    Joined: Dec 2018
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    Ereh Offline OP
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    DD13 was recently tested to determine whether she should be accelerated. The score gaps in WMI and PSI worry me. Can anyone give advice as to why large discrepancies within individual subsets exist? Here are her scores:

    VCI: 139 99.5
    VSI: 117 87
    FRI: 140 99.6
    WMI: 130 98
    PSI: 129 97
    FSIQ: 148 99.9
    GAI: 138

    Subtest scores:

    Similarities: 18
    Vocabulary: 16
    Block design: 12
    Visual puzzles: 14
    Matrix reasoning: 18
    Figure weights: 16
    Digit span: 19
    Picture span: 12
    Coding: 19
    Symbol search: 11

    She also scored 154 in the WJ III Mathematics cluster, if that helps?

    Just a note, she was very stressed and tired throughout the assessment, so we are aware that this is an underestimation of her ability, but the largest gap is 2.66 SD, within ONE subtest. Seems crazy to me.

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    aeh Offline
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    Welcome!

    First off, these are generally quite nice scores, with strengths across many domains. Secondly, there are many possible reasons why disparities within indices might exist; anything we might suggest here is a suggestion only. As to your specific data set:

    The difference between digit span and picture span may be related to differences in the nature of the tasks. DS is an auditory memory task with three components: a verbatim (forward) rote memory task, and two mental manipulation tasks (backward and sequencing). It also uses symbolic content, and has no delay in response time. In contrast, PS is a visual memory task with one condition: verbatim (forward) rote memory. It uses concrete-familiar content, and has up to a five second delay before the response. While most people perform similarly on the subtests, some people do not. For example, people with a strong bias toward either auditory or visual processing may do better on the analogous working memory task. People with subtle attentional weaknesses, but good working memory (and such do exist), may do better on DS, due to the contribution of the two mental manipulation conditions. Individuals who prefer meaningful, semantic learning over abstraction in isolation may do better with PS, using concrete-familiar content, rather than symbolic content. Also, PS is the second-to-last task, and sometimes students are just tired by the time they get to it.

    Coding and Symbol Search also usually track together, but not always. Fast visual processors with slow fine-motor skills often do better on SS than Cd. Sometimes individuals with more retentive symbolic memory blaze through Cd because they quickly memorize the key, and are able to complete the majority of the subtest without having to reference the key at the top of the page, which speeds up performance. The targets change with each line for SS, which doesn't allow them to leverage this strength in the same way. I sometimes see differences between the two subtests associated with weaknesses in visual scanning, as SS requires a great deal of that. And then, I have to add that SS is the last subtest administered, so, again, fatigue may be a factor.

    It seems to me the two most likely explanations for the differences are 1) fatigue lowering the last two subtest scores; and 2) strengths in symbolic memory amplifying performance in the context of otherwise age-appropriate working memory and processing speed. #2 would be consistent with the achievement finding of exceptional mathematics performance. Also in support of #2 is the relatively lower performance in VSI, on two timed tasks, suggesting that processing speed may be closer to average in other cases, in addition to symbol search. #1 is consistent with your note that she was stressed and tired at the time, and is one of the simplest solutions. And then we have solution #3, which is both, and solution #4, which is neither.

    Your best source of information on the likelihood of any of these proposed explanations would be the observations and clinical notes in the examiner's written evaluation. Or, failing that, asking the examiner for oral reports.


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    Ereh Offline OP
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    Hi aeh,

    Many thanks for the informative reply. Really appreciated. Option 3 seems most feasible to us. Funny how her highest scores from PS and WM were used in FSIQ calculation. A couple days ago, the school proposed a double grade skip (skip year 8 and 9) so it seems the disparity doesn�t bother them too much. We did accept and will have to see how it goes. Thanks again.

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    aeh Offline
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    You're welcome! Yes, convenient that it so happened that her higher PS and WM scores were in the ones included in the FSIQ, which helps to offset the fact that the lower VSI score is the one that contributes to the FSIQ and GAI. It doesn't always happen that way, and we're not allowed to make more than one substitution anymore, so these aren't fudged FSIQ scores.

    I kind of wish they'd given Arithmetic, so we could see her QRI (Quantitative Reasoning Index). Both would probably have been quite high, given her strengths in auditory working memory, mathematical thinking, and acquired mathematics achievement skills. Not that this would have affected decision-making, of course. Just validated my conjectures and satisfied my curiosity!

    I expect the skips offered were more reflective of her extremely strong achievement scores than anything else. Nothing like proven academic skills to justify further acceleration.


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    Both of my kids had larger gaps in the WMI subtests. My DS had a digit span of 18 and picture span of 10, and my DD (dx with ADHD) had a digit span of 7 and a picture span of 16. I'm not sure how uncommon it is for kids to have strong preferences in auditory vs. visual processing. FWIW, these preferences are reflected in their classroom performance as well.

    My DD had the opposite fortune with having her higher scores counted in the FSIQ. Her highest scores were in Information, Visual Puzzles, and Picture span, none of which counted for FSIQ. If we had been allowed to substitute the 16 in picture span for the 7 in digit span, her FSIQ would have been so much higher.


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