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Hi, I am new here and was wondering if you could help me understand my son's WISC-IV scores? His FSIQ was cautioned due to the 34 point discrepancy between his VCI/PRI scores. The PSI also has a 5 point discrepancy between Coding and Symbol search. The school district used his FSIQ and compared it to the WIAT-III and said although he scored within the superior range on the PRI clusters they feel my son is of average intelligence and therefore does not qualify for Specific Learning Disability. He is 7 1/2 and currently in the first grade. He was retained in kindergarten and struggles with Reading, Written Expression and Spelling. He is in the process of being evaluated for CAPD.
He did qualify for speech/language services but I am afraid this test may not be conclusive in ruling out other SLD's. We will be discussing the ER this week and setting IEP for expressive language. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

WISC-IV FSIQ-108 70% -significant difference in VCI/PRI

VCI 95 37%
Similarities-10
Vocabulary-8
Comprehension-9

PRI 129 97%
Block Design -16
Picture Concepts-12
Matrix Reasoning-16

WMI 102 55%
Digit Span-10
Letter-Number Sequence-11
Arithmetic-11

PSI 97 42%
Coding-7 (low average)
Symbol Search-12

Also CoGat
Verbal-89 25% 26/44
Quantitative-102-73% 34/44
Nonverbal-139 99% 44/44


Thank You in advance, this is all uncharted waters for me.

SLD cannot be based on only one test, and while a discrepancy between index scores is often a red flag for learning disabilities, it is only a "flag". What were the results of the WIAT? If you have concerns about reading, did they conduct a reading evaluation? Usually this would include tests such as CTOPP, GORT, TOWRE, WJRM. They should also consider curriculum measures of reading to help assess how he does on grade level skills.

Here's a good link that discusses tests for dyslexia http://www.concordspedpac.org/Whichtest.htm

Also, keep in mind that a child can have a SLD but still not qualify for and IEP. In most states, the TEAM must find that the child BOTH has a disability AND the disability is causing them to make ineffective progress in the curriculum. Certainly if he has stayed back, this would be an indication of ineffective progress. In addition to this, one would expect to see low scores on WIAT and the other tests. Again, this does not mean that he would not benefit from specialized instruction - only that he does not meet the level of need to require an IEP to make effective progress.

Are there any concerns about hearing loss? Consider asking for an audiology exam, which is a much better, detailed test than a simple hearing screen at the pediatrician's office.

Thanks mich and jack'smom,

I appologize for not giving more information, My son is going to have an Evaluation for Central Auditory Processing Disorder at Childrens Hospital next week. His hearing screenings have all came back normal but the SLP at school had noted that he showed difficulty in following multistep directions in relation to auditory cues. He also frequently mishears(ex. cap for cat etc.)and has a history of language delay. The school said he qualifies for an IEP in Expressive Language which I am happy about but I am concerned about them using the discrepancy model to rule out other learning disabilities. He is struggling immensely with reading, spelling, and written expression. He has been in a specialized reading program at school 4xweek for three years and has not made the gains they hoped for, which is another reason the test was administered. We also are working constantly at home with reading,ryming, memory games, journal writting as well as regular homework. Though at home I am able to keep it creative and fun to keep him engaged in learning, at school he is very cognizant of his current standing in relation to his peers. The WIAT-III scores also seem elevated as he is not able to perform at the same level in the classroom. His self esteem is beginning to break down and I am afraid that by under estimating his strengths and weaknesses it may prove disastrous to his most valuable assets which are his perseverance and determination. His deficits are always before him at school but his talents are rarely recognized. He loves Legos,the Neocube and taking apart everything to see how things work. He is very good at mathmatical concepts, understands multiplication but is very slow on timed basic facts. He is asking me for more math homework. I think he desperately wants to be noticed for something he is good at. It is so sad to hear him saying that he does not think he is smart, that he will never be able to read and that he is so afraid of being held back again. He has already shown signs of perfectionism and I do not know how much more he can bear. Any suggestions would be very helpful. Do you think that more comprehensive testing would be warranted or by using a Non-Verbal IQ test (which may be a better indicator of his ability)might shed more light, considering his Language Disability?

Thanks