Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment coding- issue with test and is it now spoiled

hi all
my son was tested about 18 months ago on the WISC-IV and did well overall but had a super low 4 out of 19 on coding. Even though i'd been told on here that the test doesn't really involve solving a code, i did get him involved in a lot of decoding "secret message" type activities in the past year. The latest being the Graeme Base book called "the Eleventh Hour" which we decoded several messages together. i taught him how to do it in what i thought was the most brain-efficient way.. for example if there is a diamond symbol that means "A", then find all the diamonds first..He has gotten REALLY good and very fast at doing these types of activities.

Fast forward to today and the problem. For his tri-ennial review at school for his special education program, the school psychologist gave him the WISC-IV (though i had requested another test)...Being my curious self.. I asked him how it all went and asked if he did a test that was like a code. He said "yes" but that the teacher made him stop doing it the "fast" way, and do one letter at a time from the top. I really think it was great that he was doing it the more efficient way, and applying a mental strategy. But since the psychologist stopped him i am wondering if its really only supposed to be done "one way" and if the fact that she stopped him invalidated the subtest?? Was she supposed to have changed his strategy for completing this test??

irene

I am by no means an expert in the tests; but I do know that there are a lot of procedures to be followed, one of which MIGHT be the order thing.

The other thing is that for that subtests, children are first given a non-timed practice run, and then they get to the timed section that really will count. Hopefully the tester interrupted your child in that practice part. I would still ask how that went IF the results seem low again.

thanks for the responses. i am now thinking it was on a practice run that he was told to do it one by one. So hopefully the test was not spoiled. Though if it was, will be interesting to see what was substituted!! It does make sense if they have to only give correct up to the first one that is not marked.
irene

Hi Irene,
I'm a school psychologist and give the coding subtest on a daily basis. I know exactly what you are talking about. The coding portion of the WISC-IV has instrcutions that must be read before administering. These state explicitly to the student that they have to fill in each box in order and can't skip any. I'm assumming your son probably tried to do all of a certain number first and then went back and tried to do all of another certain number next. As part of the standardization of the test, it must be administered exactly how it was administered when it was originally produced, which included telling each student that they have to go in order. If he were to skip ahead and do each number all at once, when the time stopped he would have had all of the blanks between the last number filled on teh page and the beginning marked incorrect. It sounds to me like the psych did their job.

hi chris79
yes, my son tried to do all the "stars" then all the other symbols, etc. I feel better now reading your responses that the psychologist did the right thing, and i 'll stop worrying about it. The suspense is killing me.
irene

If he took the WISV IV just 18 months ago he should have been given a different test. Familiarity can skew results. was the tester aware of how recently he had taken the test or simply that you prefered another test?

yes, i told them, but they said it was okay since it was over a year ago. I did ask for SB-5. When i got into it and started to push for the other test they started saying that if he was evaluated (albeit privately) 18 months ago then we should submit those results and they should not have to do the tri-ennial review (which is free). I backed off..I really want the review done as so much has changed since his last "official" evaluation by the school district. I don't want the review pushed out another three years. But i am thinking if the results look off to me (either high or low) i will push for the SB-V at that time.