Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment wppsi-iv asynchrony and potential eye sight issues

Our 4.5 yo recently got this test administered as part of private school application, and I am trying to interpret the results. We are newly learning about giftedness, though we have seen signs, which we chose to 'ignore' just because we didn't want to assume anything.

I am not quite sure what our action items are right now. Also, we were advised to try with WISC-IV when he is six, so that he can get credits for the area where he hit the ceiling on wppsi-iv, and potentially apply for DYS. Is WISC-IV the right test to take then?

Thank you!

What score did he need to get into the school?

136 is one of the highr scores I've seen on the wppsi4, it is very new and seems to be producing both lower and more varied responses than previous versions.

It's probably worth checking his eyes as recommended, but also keep in mind that he's FOUR... At that age asynchrony is very normal and can be significant...

Processing speed is often a lower score for gifted kids and can depress the overall score. That's why the GAI can also be used for the WISC-IV (it eliminates that effect and is accepted for DYS). It isn't uncommon at all to have a lower score in that area.

http://pearsonassessmentsupport.com/support/index.php?View=file&EntryID=353

My apologies to the original poster. I have been having computer glitches and some funky things have been happening. I edited out my previous post because it was in response to a different thread.

The variations aren't really so huge except for the one low subtest in processing speed. At age 4.5, I would expect development to be uneven across the board due to interest and developmental differences independent of ultimate intelligence. My oldest was the only one of my children who really got into 3D jigsaw puzzles and legos at age 3 and 4. For that reason, he really looked advanced in that particular domain because most 3 and 4 years olds have not expanded beyond 2d puzzles. That is not to say that your DS won't remain super advance in the visual-spatial domain or that his IQ won't improve across the board. It is simply rather unreliable at this age - at least that is what I have heard from professionals. It will be much clearer in 4 or 5 years.

Thanks for all the kind responses, it is very educational. I am trying to comprehend it, but it is so much to learn.

I am trying to figure out what to do, because we think we'll need Davidson support. It seems that it might be ok to re-test right away with SB5 test, because the age requirement starts at 2 yo, is that correct? We will have to wait another year and a half for the WISC-IV test. The school director told us he needs to be taught to read differently because he is highly visual spatial.

The site hung when I tried to submit the response below, so this is my second attempt. Also the school we apply to accept both wppsi-iii and wppsi-iv, it is concerning now that I know the scores are not comparable.

Another question, if I may.. This keeps lingering in my mind. Is it real that he is gifted? He is only 4.5, and I heard that children's test results fluctuate. I can't brush off what other parents say about NurtureShock book. We've been told by his preK teachers that he is extremely bright, but he is our first child, so we have no point of comparison.

This is my third attempt to post the response below. Removed because it is repeated.

Thank you. I am open to such idea. I am also pondering whether it is a loop, i.e. he is interested in legos (he is self teaching himself) because his VSI is high, and his VSI is high because he keeps practicing, akin to how some children teach themselves to read.. He was actually tested at 20 months old as part of early start program (he was 2e back then, had since outgrew it with some intervention), and we were told that he was logically very advanced then.

I am still pondering about the re-testing questions, and how to read our results, any insights/advice into this? I don't like exposing him to tests, the kindergarten application process is not fun to go through on its own, but if it gets us some support we can look into it..