This is by the district psychologist, yes?

His cognitive scores range from Low Average to Superior, with a fair amount of variation, both between and within areas. The profile of the WJIII appears generally similar to his previous WJ, although most of the scores are slightly lower. The WISC results are surprisingly flat, except for that low digit span score. The WJ continues to show strengths in basic phonological processing and inductive reasoning--the former is consistent with his strong word attack skills, and the latter is consistent with the most closely related tasks on the WISC (similarities, picture concepts).

All the lowest cognitive scores (except for digit span, which I will get to a little later) are also the same task-type: WISC-IV Symbol Search, WJIII Visual Matching & Decision Speed. Scan, match, cross-off, row by row. In the first two, you scan for visually-identical symbols. In the last one, you find conceptually-related images. Cancellation involves visual search and cross-off in a large field, but no matching/visual discrim. Writing and math fluency are self-generated (no searching, and limited tracking), with a fairly low threshold of accuracy on writing fluency. So, to summarize, visual-motor speed is an issue when visual scanning/tracking and search across rows are involved. Not so much in mixed measures with retrieval efficiency. I would use visual frames, limited visual fields, reduced items per page, and tracking supports (a bookmark under the line being read, a blank sheet of paper covering up the next test items, proctor checking in during standardized testing, to make sure the bubbles are being filled in for the correct items, answers recorded directly in test booklet). Was his visual tracking ever checked?

Writing is good when it is short and well-defined (WJIII). Extended writing in applied contexts is substantially weaker (KTEAII). One can see how this happens by turning to the results of the CEFI, which notes significant executive dysfunctions in initiation, planning, and self-monitoring, and lesser weaknesses in flexibility, inhibition, organization, and working memory. Initiation and planning, in particular, as well as organization and working memory, are particularly important in inferential comprehension of lengthier reading selections, and in generating extended writing products. Those two skills together will become increasingly important as he moves into high school English classes, where much of the writing consists of literary analysis. Self-monitoring and inhibition probably have something to do with the poor applied spelling skills you observe, especially when contrasted with his decent on-demand spelling in isolation. This profile is extremely common in high-functioning students with ADHD, and often emerges in middle or high school, when extended writing starts to become an expectation across the curriculum. He'll need pre-writing discussions, organizational and idea generation supports (graphic organizers, outlines, writing prompts--preferably with sentence starters, explicitly-drawn personal connections to writing topics).

Was digit span uniformly low, or was reversed higher or lower than forward? I notice the two related tasks on the WJ were solidly Average.

One of the reasons working memory is important to extended writing is because most people do not plan their entire written product out in detail on paper prior to beginning to write. Certain details and aspects of the structure are in our heads, held there in working memory until the time comes to put them on paper. If one's mental scratch paper is not large enough or stable enough, this system will be inefficient. In order to write smooth sequences and connections between thoughts, you have to remember what the overall arc of the thoughts is. This issue is, of course, why paper was invented. wink In his case, he may benefit from audio recording his ideas, or using speech-to-text, before beginning to write, so that he doesn't lose them on the way from head to paper. Then he can write or type them down from his recording, sequence, organize, and expand them, make any other revisions or corrections necessary, and finally begin his finished product.


...pronounced like the long vowel and first letter of the alphabet...