Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional WISC V worse for 2e kids?

Psych noted that the WISC V has shorter discontinue rules, and is stricter about repetition of directions than the WISC IV. I can imagine that this could hinder scores of gifted kids with ADHD, language processing issues, etc. If so, will more 2e kids fall through the cracks???

My DS8 with ADHD and a language impairment took the WISC V recently. He scored the same FSIQ as he did on the WISC IV. Some scores slightly down (not enough to be outside the 95% confidence interval on the WISC IV). Non verbal reasoning (matrix reasoning) increased significantly.
The WISC IV tester from two years ago noted that she thought non verbal reasoning was a developing area for DS, and she expected his abilities to increase.
I like the WISC V better- I didn't know about the time constraints and discontinues. My DS seems to have the profile you mention and it didn't significantly affect his score.

Of course, it's really too soon to say, as the test has only been out since October, but so far, I like it better for 2e kids. I've already caught at least one 2e student who would have been harder to document on the WISC-IV. The length of the test often means that ADHD kids are kept more engaged by a faster pace. Since the nonverbal/fluid reasoning aspects of the test have been strengthened, I think that actually helps language impaired kids. I don't think it's stricter on repetition of directions. Actually, one of the subtests has a more sensible repetition rule than the IV had.

What it does have is only two subtests for each of the clusters. That means one outlying subtest score has more impact on an index score. This is not a change for WM and PS.

My son just took WISC V with neuropsych eval. The NP "warned" me that scores tend to be lower with new tests--although this doesn't concern me, since it won't be used for placement. She also said that it is more specific in some areas (I don't really know what that means) and so can help identify more specific areas of relative weakness.

My son's only previous "full" IQ test showed a significant discrepancy between his GAI and PSI (working memory wasn't discrepant). He has an ADHD diagnosis but nothing else identified at this point. I'll be interested to see if there are any indicators of other issues with the WISC V.

aeh--does that make sense, or am I misunderstanding?

FWIW--in our district's GT program, when WISC IV was "re-normed" (at least that's the way it was explained, I'm not sure that's accurate language) --the program couldn't fill its seats and lowered the score requirement.

I've suddenly found myself fascinated with IQ information. Interestingly (to me, at least), the teachers in the GT program in my district have next to no training on IQ testing. I think it could be really helpful for them to know more about the details. It certainly would have helped my understanding when I was teaching.

eco, yes, that makes sense. All new tests show a tendency for scores to drop on students who are being re-tested (the Flynn effect), due to norm obsolescence of the old version, with some research finding the drop to be greater for those at the right end of the bell curve.

The WISC-IV was not re-normed, but the WISC-IV norms were over a decade newer than those of the WISC-III (just as the V's norms are over a decade newer than those of the IV).

I find the WISC-V to have better-defined indices as well. Notably, breaking the old PRI into the Fluid Reasoning Index and the Visual Spatial Index. Working Memory also now has both visual and auditory tasks (and an optional Auditory Working Memory Index).