block design 18
similarities 17
digit span 7
picture concepts 14
coding 12
vocab 12
letter-numb. sequ. 11
matrix reseasoning 17
comprehension 10
symbol 10

FSIQ 120
GAI 132

?????

Can you post the WPPSI results as well? What did the tester say? Do they absolutely require FSIQ> 130 or would they go with GAI with the recommendation of the tester?

Here are the WPPSI scores:
FSIQ 130 98th %

Verbal IQ 129 - 97th%
Performance IQ 129 - 97th%
General Language 138 - 99th%
Processing Speed 113 - 81st%

Subtest Scaled Scores
Verbal Scale
Information 13
Vocabulary 14
Word Reasoning 17

Perf. Scale
Block Design 15
Matrix Reasoning 16
Picture Concepts 13

General Lang.
Receptive Vocab. 18
picture Naming 15

Processing Speed
Symbol Search 13
Coding 12

The school says it's a strict 130 but who knows.

I'm baffled!

It seems to me that her reasoning of all kinds (tested by Similarities, Matrix Reasoning, Picture Concepts and Block Design) is very good, but she has a weakness in fund of knowledge (Vocabulary where you are given a word and have to define it, perhaps she doesn't know too many words) and a real weakness in rote attention (Digit Span where you have to repeat increasingly longer strings of digits either forward or in reverse). However, when the working memory task is cognitively more demanding (ie Letter-Number Sequencing where you have to reorder letter-number strings in your head as opposed to just repeat them forwards or in reverse as in Digit Span), she does better. Also, open-ended, adaptive reasoning as required by Comprehension is a little weak.

It seems to me that she is extremely smart as far as raw brain power. And, although I am not an expert and may be wrong, she doesn't have an LD. When the problem is neurologically based, Coding is almost always effected and often Block Design and Symbol Search are as well. However, this is not the case with her. It seems to me that her problem is in lack of maturity and her scores should go up with age. She might not understand that she has to give precise answers on Vocabulary and that she has to give clear, logical, and complete answers on Comprehension. Also, she might not understand that she has to put her utmost effort and do her best on a boring, nonintellectual task like Digit Span because the test is important. So again, she is very, very smart and her reserved personality and lack of maturity lowered her score.

no, Dottie - I appreciate your input!! I am baffled because the results don't make sense to me so I am confused, don't know why she scored so very low on that 1 area. I just don't know if it means there is a problem. I don't know if the school will review everything and make a decision or if it's like the school board told me - that they just plug the numbers into a computer

asiral, thanks so much for that explaination

My explanation of Digit Span was probably clear, but just in case you still have questions about it, let me tell you what it is.

Digit Span subtest is composed of two parts: Digits Forwards and Digits Backwards.

Digits Forward:
In this section, the tester reads to the child a string of digits (the child never sees the string, she has to get it auditorily and there are no repetitions) and the child is to say this string back in the same order as the examiner pronounced it.

Example:
psychologist reads: 9-2-5-3-6-8
child has to say back: 9-2-5-3-6-8
The section starts with 3-digit strings and gradually progresses all the way to 9-digit strings with two strings at each length.

Digits Backward:
In this section the psychologist reads to the child a string of digits. The child has to say this string back to the psychologist in reverse order from how the psychologist read it.
(Again, the child never sees the string and has to get it auditorily and there are absolutely no re-reads).

Example:
psychologist reads: 4-7-1-3-9
child has to say back: 9-3-1-7-4
The section starts with 2-digit strings and gradually progresses all the way up to 9-digit strings with two strings at each length.
The scores for Digits Forward and Digits Backward are combined into a single Digit Span subtest score.

Letter-Number Sequencing subtest, however, is more demanding:

In this subtest the psychologist reads to the child a mixed string of letters and numbers. (Again, the child never sees the string and has to get it auditorily and there are absolutely no re-reads). The child has to re-order the string in her head and say it back in such a way that all the numbers come before all the letters and are in ascending order and all the letters come after all the numbers and are in alphabetical order.
Example:
psychologist reads: 2-D-5-A-1-G
child has to say: 1-2-5-A-D-G

Another example:
psychologist reads: S-F-45-H-27
child has to say: 27-45-F-H-S
The subtest starts with 3-item strings and gradually progresses all the way up to 9-item strings.

Can you tell me if there is something I should be asking the psychologist? Is the test not really accurate/useable when you say it's uninterpretable?

The psychologist seemed to think there is a problem with auditory processing and that maybe there is a LD. I don't even know how to follow up on that and it conflicts with what some of you are suggesting.

*sigh*

thanks again, Dottie.

I don't know where you are getting the 116 from though? she had FSIQ 120 and GAI 132

Our oldest dd had an 11 point spread in the PRI index (8-19+). I can't recall the third # in that index, but it was in the upper teens. We weren't told that there was a point at which you couldn't calculate the index score due to scatter although we were told that there was a point at which you shouldn't calculate the FSIQ score due to subtest scatter (which she also met). I would, of course, be less confident in the subtest score itself as an accurate indicator of the child's abilities with a large spread like that, though.

eta: our dd does not have a LD, but she is either typically sensory overresponsive due to being gifted or has SPD depending on whose dx you take. She hasn't been retested since age 7, when she got these wildly variable scores, but I think that anxiety may have played somewhat into the large spread. It seems that some psychs consider large spreads in and of themselves to potentially indicate LDs and others do not. We were assured by a psych that dd#2 didn't have a LD despite wild variations within indices on IQ tests b/c her achievement scores weren't below the predicted values based upon the IQ scores. It's confusing, isn't it!?

Yes, Cricket2, it IS confusing!! I spoke to psychologist today because of my confusion. I think some of it was my own misinterpretation of what he was telling me. Hopefully when i get his report and we talk more.

I am trying to decide if we should do the achievement testing or not. She would be doing the WJ-III

You indicated that the psychologist suggested there is an auditory processing issue (probably because of the lower number in digit span) and that you didn't know how to follow up. I heard Linda Silverman speak earlier this month. My notes indicate she refers people to the Able Kids Foundation In Fort Collins, CO for Central Auditory Processing disorders. http://www.ablekidsfoundation.org/
You may want to check their website to get more information on CAPD and see if it seems to fit your kid.

I got word today that they will accept DD6's 132 GAI That's a relief. So, that gives us more options. DS8 applied to the Davidson Academy and was invited out for the next phase. So we have that option if he is accepted (he is pretty young, i don't know if he is ready for DA yet) and this other gifted school that would be a compromise for DS8 but DD6 could also attend. We would not consider this other school if both children couldn't attend.

I am feeling better about next year although it looks like we are moving far away in one direction or the other verrrry soon!!

I was so shocked by her scored and low FSIQ. I am happy that the psychologist gave plenty of support for her GAI being a better measure of her intelligence and I am thrilled that the school board took this into consideration and accepted it Yay all around!!

Excellent news!!! Do you have any other ideas for Dd6?

I want to second that--Congratulations!

I'd also like to add that you should not be so disappointed by her Full Scale IQ. While this score underestimates her actual ability, it is not low by any means--it's at the 91%ile. So she is in the top 9% of the population overall (and much higher in specific areas!). Scores between 120 and 129 are considered Superior.

thanks I wasn't disappointed in the score in general, i was surprised because it was sooo much lower than her WPPSI III (FSIQ 130) and i just expected it to be about the same. I was concerned about her acceptance into a program if we move. While 120-129 may be Superior most of the programs have a bottom of 130. She is already in a gifted school and working above grade level, doing beautifully.

well, it's a concern. If we end up in Reno I read the schools near the DA are good and have some gifted programs. It may be less than she is used to. I think with enrichment and the right school she would be ok socially. Maybe a grade skip since she is already working 1+ years ahead of grade level? She is not super academically inclined but i don't want her to get bored either. She does her work and gets good grades but she'd rather be drawing/making stuff. (hee hee just like mom!)

One thing that I notice about a single grade skip and the Iowa Acceleration Scale Manual, that if you play with the numbers, a cooperative, mature, Moderately Gifted - oh, let's call that optimally gifted, ok? - is the perfect candidate for a full grade skip. Especially in this case with working +1 grade academically from her previous school. I find it very ironic that in some schools the only kids who are offered a single gradeskip, are PG - ones for whom a single skip is almost garenteed not to be enough in an of itself!

When Maricia Gross gathered her data, she grouped the PG kids who were single gradeskipped with the kids who got no accomidation at all, and she calls them 'token gradeskips!' That sure made me think.

love and more love,
Grinity

wow, that's worrisome I'm having a VERY hard time deciding what to do right now and I am getting very conflicting information. Also, all the deadlines for the schools overlap. I am starting to crack up!

thanks for all the love

JoAnn, will you be at Davidson this THursday and Friday? I will be there with my kids. maybe we can meet.

Hi, no we won't be there tomorrow but good luck the your kids and hang in there! i read your other post Do you live in Reno? Let me know how it goes! (you can PM me!)

Hugs!

Remember 'least -worst' option. Also - which options leave the most alternatives open!

My heart goes out to you!

Have you signed up to facebook to talk to Davidson Academy Parents?

Grinity

Good luck Vivace - I'll be looking forward to the full report when you get a chance!
Grinity