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    #225106 11/11/15 12:52 PM
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    Hello, I am new, and am hoping some more experienced members can shed some light and perspective.

    My daughter goes to a gifted school. She took the WPPSI-iii when she was 4 years 10 months and scored a full scale 143, verbal 145 and performance 140. The only category with a discrepancy is in the processing subtest coding, where she scored in the 75%.

    We (both school and home) have been noticing attention issues, especially in subjects she doesn't care as much about. In an attempt to figure out what is going on (primarily wanting to ensure she maintains a positive narrative of herself as a student), we just began screening for ADHD. Our psychologist specializes in gifted, and part of the screening includes a new IQ test, which will be the WISC-v.

    I have been doing research on the test and aside from an abundance of information from Pearson, have heard over and over that scores on the WISC-v are lower. I'm wondering how and why that is so. I know there are new subtests, but it doesn't seem right that there are potentially 10 points lost on most scores, especially when measures expectations for programs haven't changed.

    Please know, we're not placing huge emphasis on these scores, but I'd like to have as much of an understanding as possible.

    Thanks in advance!

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    It has to do with something called the Flynn Effect. There is a testing expert who uses this site regularly who can explain that better than I can.

    In addition, it is said that a rather young child may have an unstable IQ anyhow.

    If you are looking for ADHD, you will be looking at the sub-test grades and how they compare to each other more than the overall IQ.

    In any event, remember that this number that you get will not change your child one bit. She will still be the bright girl you have always known.

    Last edited by howdy; 11/11/15 03:56 PM.
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    Howdy is correct.

    The Flynn effect, also known as norm obsolescence, is the observation that measured IQs have been rising in the modern IQ test era at a rate of roughly 3 points per decade for individuals near the center of the bell curve, and possibly more for those near the extreme right hand end of the curve, without any apparent increase in real intelligence. In the case of the WPPSI-III and WISC-V, there is a 12 year difference between the age of their norms, which predicts about 4-5 points lower scores on the WISC-V for NT students, and very likely more for high-cognitive students.

    Scores at age 4 are unlikely to be highly stable, due to the complexities of testing small people, with their wide range of normal developmental trajectories, unpredictable behavior, high reliance on rapport with examiners to generate optimal performance, and diverse exposure to academics. I doubt that her score will now fall into the average range, but in my experience, it would not be at all strange for it to fall by 10 points.

    The WISC-V also measures additional aspects of cognition, which were not captured on the WPPSI-III. These may affect the FSIQ in as-yet unknown ways, especially since you report a historical relative weakness in processing speed (though this was so long ago, and at such a young age, that it may no longer be the case). If comparing WISC-V to WPPSI-III scores is important to you, you will probably want to use the GAI for this purpose. If you are concerned about some kind of learning need interfering with her school and life performance, the WISC-V is a much better instrument for articulating different aspects of cognition. Which, I understand, is your primary interest in this round of assessment.

    I would also echo howdy's last comment, which is that new numbers will not change the child you know. The good evaluator interprets test data in the context of the whole child, not the reverse.


    ...pronounced like the long vowel and first letter of the alphabet...
    aeh #225117 11/11/15 05:58 PM
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    Thank you both! Your information really helps. I was uncomfortable not having some concrete reasoning. And, absolutely, there's not a test around that could change our kiddo--she's pretty awesomesauce (in my very biased, but also very correct opinion smile ).

    I appreciate the help.


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