Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Test results... Should I get retested? Long post.

So I just got a test done for accomdations at my school. The report contradicts itself on its own, and he doesn�t provide me with any numerical values. All he told me that it differs great from the last time I took an IQ test about 7 years ago. I'm 20 now, and they had decided to test me again because of the fact that the university I am at thought I had some kind of learning disability which my old testers missed previously. I scored 127 on the last test and so they thought maybe I was 2-e. He used the WAIS-III and my Performance IQ was in the high average range and my Verbal IQ in the average range this time. He goes on to tell me that my WAIS-III subtest scores range from superior to average. He also used Woodcock Johnson Third Edition Tests for Academic Achievement, and California Verbal Learning Test. On top of this he also did a Personality Assessment Inventory which came back with some interesting results.

Here are the test results:

mildly impaired bilaterally- fine visual-motor dexterity
mildly impaired- short and long delay free recall of the complex figure
mildly impaired- ability to learn a list of words on the California Verbal Learning Test- short delayed free recall was at the lower end of average while long delayed free recall was mildly impaired
varied from average to mildly impaired- problem-solving involving concept identification and ability to shift mental set; "Hands-on problem solving was far above average with the right hand, average with the left hand, and above average when both hands were used together. She was disproportionately poorer doing the task with her non-dominant left hand, which could suggest some dysfunction of the right cerebral hemisphere."
below average- forward and backwards digit recall (weak in both)
lower half of average range- ability to "sound out" or phonetically decode non-words (mid-junior high school level)
lower half of the average range- single world reading (grade 10-11)
average bilaterally- grip strength
average range- limits to copy a complex figure
average range- higher-level oral language skills, paper and pencil information processing speed, and auditory attention and/or working memory
average range- Ruff Figural Fluency Test
upper half of average range- reading speed (mid post-secondary)
upper half of average range- simple arithmetic calculations under time pressure (beginning post secondary)
upper half of average range- spelling ability and writing speed (beginning post-secondary)
far above average- visual matrix reasoning
high average range- reading comprehension(upper post-secondary)
Superior range- index reflecting visual-spatial and/or construction skills
superior range- mathematical word problems that were read aloud(upper post secondary)
very superior range- complex written calculations under no time pressure (upper post-secondary)

This is all I have for results, and I took it all word for word. There is a very high range of things in here, and I�m really not sure what to do about them. In the end, he assessed me with ADHD- Inattentive Type and left it at that. He wants me to take medication for it as well, which I'm very vary about. If you would like to see what the PAI scale results came out as, I can post those here too. That is another long list of things, as it did come out with actual possibilities. Should I get another assessment done? Or what could be the problem? He didn�t really tell me anything about the assessment or anything like that. As well, isn�t having a dysfunction of the right cerebral hemisphere consistent with higher verbal scores then performance? I�m trying to figure out what I should do, and if I actually have some kind of different learning disability, besides ADHD-Inattentive Type. He goes on to state �She did have some mild impairment in terms of verbal and visual learning memory.� I tried to ask him about it and he kind of just changed the topic on me, so I'm not sure he knows why that is. He wasn�t the one who administered the test; his assistant did it instead, so I�m really not sure at all. Sorry about all the writing, but if I could get some insight that�d be great. Thanks!

I can understand why this "report" left you with more questions than it answered. It leads me to many questions and a couple of suggestions.

1. What were the credentials of the evaluator?
2. Could this be just an initial summary of the findings with a report to follow?
3. Did you have any meeting to discuss these results? (beyond the ADHD-in/medication recommendation?)

I would start by attempting to get more information about the tests you have already taken, This "report" gives you very little information. At the very least, each subtest, index and composite score should be listed including the standard score or scaled score and percentile rank. The evaluator should provide some narrative about the approach you took to the tests and describe the implications. They should describe what each subtest/test measures and what your performance on the tests mean, For instance, what happened under time constraints vs untimed tests? (see the two math tests) Are there differences in varying aspects of memory and what does this mean? The evaluation should list all recommendations - and it seems there should be some beyond medication.

I am also concerned that the assistant administered the tests - I wonder how skilled and experienced he or she was? I would ask if the test protocols are available - these are the actual tests/recordings of your responses/scoring sheets.

Should you get a second opinion? If you cannot get more information from the evaluators, I am afraid that you should. But, you will have to get the names and version of each test given. The new evaluator cannot use the same version of the test within 12 months because your familiarity with the test would negate the results.

Okay, I will try and see what I can do. Thank you. We did have a meeting, he didn't provide much insight, and decided to ask my mother more about me in that general instance AFTER having the results in front of him. Like I said, when I tried to question him about the memory thing, he just kind of avoided the question.