Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Help Understanding Scores - WISC-V, NNAT3 w/ADHD

Hello - looking for some guidance on any thoughts or insights into these scores. It's hard to see the different and unique aspects and to have a right plan of action. Below are WISC-V, NNAT3 and we are ADHD combined with Dyscalculia.

Is this considered 2e given the 99.7 visual spacial or not fully since the other scores are in the high 80s? the FRI 50th percentile is my head scratcher versus this 97 NNAT3.

This is a 9 year old female in 2nd/3rd grade - super bright with memorization but needs support writing, reading and spelling. Scores above average in math but confirmed Dyscalculia so we've leaned into art but curious what other areas could be beneficial. Appreciate in advance any thought starters!

WISC-V
Verbal Comprehension (VCI) 116 107-122 - 86 High Average
Visual Spatial (VSI) 141 130-145 - 99.7 Extremely High
Fluid Reasoning (FRI) 100 93-107 - 50 Average
Working Memory (WMI) 117 108-123 - 87 High Average
Processing Speed (PSI) 108 98-116 - 70 Average
Full Scale (FSIQ) 118 112-123 - 88 High Average

NNAT3
NAI 131
97 Percentile

ADHD Combined Type
Dyscalculia

Welcome, lcwest!

If you have Dx of dyscalculia and ADHD, with the NNAT and VSI numbers, then yes, I would consider this 2e. Your description of needing support with reading/writing/spelling suggests that there may be other LDs, as, with those cognitive numbers, there is no obvious reason this student should not be above grade level in most academic skills. ADHD might explain some of it, but probably not all, if she is receiving good phonetic decoding instruction.

The FRI and NAI are not derived from identical tasks. All measures are ways to access the nominal cognitive skills, but because children's minds don't fit neatly into boxes, the specific measure may not sample the construct the same way from child to child. Plus, any given day, a young child may or may not be fully available during testing, appearances notwithstanding. In this case, there is the additional information that they were classified with a math disability. Half of the FRI is derived from a very math-related task (not learned math skills, but drawing on cognitive skills that are often predictive of math achievement). If you look at the subtests, I would guess that there is a difference between the two contributing subtests, with higher scores on Matrix Reasoning, and lower scores on Figure Weights.

Not sure I would avoid math as an enrichment area. I would just focus on interesting mathematical concepts, especially geometric ones, rather than computational math. 3D visualizations, fun little puzzles (e.g., those little hand puzzles sometimes called chain or bar puzzles, usually made out of metal or hard plastic), logic puzzles, optical illusions. Real or simulated construction or design projects, Things like that.

Responding as a fellow parent of a 2e kid:

Make sure you’re looking at your child and noticing their interests. How those strengths present is individual to the person. Watch how she plays in her free time. Pay attention to activities she chooses.

When you notice the interests, you can support them: finding supplies for projects, setting up a workspace for the interest at home, reserving time to work on interests, when it’s a holiday buying gifts that support interests, taking her to places that explore her interests, seeing what activities or camps support this interest, checking out related library books.

Now if your kid doesn’t seem interested in things… then I would check back to those strengths and look for opportunities in your community to dabble. My kids are visual-spatial oriented, here are some recent opportunities in our community: 4H (big array of projects - sewing, woodworking, welding, rockets, etc), take and make robots at the library, maker space at library where they built whatever they wanted to out of cardboard, orienteering (follow map to goals), geocaching (basically treasure hunting). You can also do things at home: arts & crafts, puzzles, play doh/clay, Lego or other building toys. And as family activities: go to park or zoo and have her lead with the map, build from sand at beach or sandbox, visit a museum.

Sometimes your kid might be interested in something but be deterred by a weaker skill. If you can accommodate, scaffold or support the skill it allows them to access that interest. My son struggles with writing… when he was preschool/kg aged he was interested in doing challenging, advanced math, but didn’t have functional handwriting. We would do math with objects, mental math, count money, write numbers on circle stickers or use moveable wooden craft numbers in replacement of writing. And we worked on mastering number writing formation before letters, working at his pace with lots of repetition. He also loves to talk and read and can think up long elaborate stories, but his writing skills deter him from writing the stories down. I offer to scribe or type his stories, he also knows how to use voice to text. He continues to work at his writing skills and they improve, but at his pace.

Follow your kid’s lead! I wish you the best!