Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Help with understanding test results

We had our son tested with the public school system in December because we thought he had a form of autism. Turns out he qualifies for gifted services. The diagnostician kind of went over the results with us, but I'm still not really clear on what it all means. If I post them here, can someone help me interpret them?
The tests he was given were:
* WPPSI-III
* SOI-LA/L
* Beery VMI
* WJ-III ACH

There are definitely people here who can help you understand the test results (I am not one of them) so post away. And Welcome to the board!

Thanks! Here goes... He took the test when he was a few weeks past his 5th birthday.

WPPSI-III (Composites)
Verbal IQ: 108
Performance IQ: 135
Processing Speed: 128
Full Scale IQ: 128

SOI-LA/L (Critical Thinking)
Verbal Sequencing: Stanine 4 / SS 92
Verbal Relations: Stanine 9 / SS 130

Beery VMI
VMI: SS 126

WJ-III ACH (Cluster Scores)
Brief Reading: 160
Brief Math: 126
Brief Writing: 140

Thanks Dottie! I didn't really get any specifics on the testing. She did say that he flew through it and that's about it. She did mention that he was very young to be tested and that it might not be accurate. When she was going over the results, our DD6 kept interrupting us, so who knows.
I did get a breakdown of the scores on the WPPSI-III are as follows:
Confidence level: 95%
Block design: 16
Information: 12
Matrix reasoning: 18
Vocabulary: 12
Picture concepts: 13
Symbol search: 16
Word reasoning: 11
Coding: 14

Yes, she ruled out all autistic aspects. Said she doesn't believe him to be anywhere on the autism scale. There are still things that I question sometimes, but I guess we'll see if it's just because he's young or whatever as he grows up.

Bump

I just want to make another comment about the verbal scores. The verbal subtests on the WPPSI emphasize knowledge as opposed to reasoning in contrast to the WISC verbal subtests, which emphasize reasoning as opposed to knowledge.

Vocabulary subtest: straightforward defining words
--What's "language"?
--What's "retain"?
--What's "lament"?

Information subtest: tests general, factual knowledge about the world, factual trivia questions
--What's the capital of France?
--What's the speed of light?
--Who wrote "Hamlet"?
--How many senators are in US Senate?

Word Reasoning: a child has to identify a concept/word based on verbal clues
--It uses a screen and a cathode ray tube and it conveys information.
Answer: television
(I know this last one was a bad example but you get the idea)

While "Word Reasoning" is a reasoning subtest, kids usually do worse on it than on "Similarities" and even "Comprehension"

On the WISC on the other hand, while the Vocabulary subtest is the same as on the WPPSI, the other two subtests: "Similarities" and "Comprehension" are more reasoning based.

Similarities: determining how two concepts are alike.
--How are "tea" and "coffee" alike?
--How are "hope" and "fear" alike?
--How are "happiness" and "sadness" alike?
--How are "poem" and "painting" alike?

Comprehension: open-ended verbal reasoning and social judgment questions
--What's the advantage of keeping money in a bank?
--Why do children go to school?
--Why do we cook food?
--Why do we have laws?
--What does "to kill two birds with one stone" mean?

So it's very likely that a smaller fund of knowledge lowered your DS's verbal index on the WPPSI, and the WISC scores should be higher because it relies more on reasoning than knowledge.

Asiral,

I don't know if those are real questions from the test or not, but if so, would you please edit your message to delete them? While it is fine to talk about tests and subtests in a general sense, it is important that the test questions themselves be kept confidential.

Thanks.

That's interesting, I never thought of that since I had no idea what was on the tests. I'll probably have him retested in a few years anyway before mid-school to see if public school with an IEP would be a better fit.

I never meant to compromise the test. Those are sample questions and I remember some of the ones I posted were in the "sample questions online". I have no knowledge of the WISC questions as I've never taken it; I've only taken the WAIS III and it's now in the new edition anyway, WAIS IV.