So here's where he's actually underachieving, even in individual testing:
1. academic fluency: reading, math, and writing fluency (this suggests low PSI is a real thing)
2. reading comprehension
3. untimed written expression (writing samples)
These are borderline, for his ability:
1. word reading (of actual words)
2. spelling (of actual words)
I would suspect that the two borderline basic skills are the reason the corresponding higher-level skills are even weaker (reading & writing).
Given his excellent phonetic decoding skills, the - 1 SD drop to calling real words, his generally slow fluency (not only for fine-motor-involved tasks, either), and downstream effects on higher-levels reading and writing skills, the picture looks much more like there is something significant behind the lower PSI, most likely something that affects not only (or necessarily) motor speed, but actual processing speed, mainly via challenges with attaining automaticity for basic skills.
My suspicion is a form of dyslexia/dysgraphia (even though he reads well, and has excellent phonetic decoding, which is usually the trouble spot for dyslexia), but I would encourage you to seek out a comprehensive assessment (perhaps using some of this prior testing, if it is recent enough, as a starting point).
ETA: Another possibility is that language is the actual interfering factor for reading comprehension and written expression, although that still doesn't explain the relatively weaker word reading/spelling, or the fluency scores. But it might be an additional factor. (The WISC-IV VCI could still be high, under these circumstances, as two of the subtests can successfully be answered with comprehension and expression of only one or two word-length utterances.)
Last edited by aeh; 03/08/16 08:17 PM.
