sallymom-- my DS8 had something similar on the WISC V- digit span forward was 91st percentile, picture span 98th and digit span sequencing 98th percentile. Digit span backward was 50th percentile.
A few years ago DS took the WISC IV and letter/number sequencing was 99.6 percentile and digit span was 84th percentile. The tester didn't break it down to forward and backward but the narrative section said that DS didn't perform nearly as well on the backward section.
The WISC IV tester said essentially that digit span backward is the ability to hold information in one's head, manipulate it and provide the transformed result.
We didn't know it during the WISC IV, but my son has ADHD- his neuropsych described his learning style as passive unless he's highly engaged and in planning mode. I once watched him multiply 6 to the 6th power in his head while he was still in kindergarten.
