WISC scores help please

I posted this a few threads down, it might be a start!

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/1580/sped/wisc.html

K.

First, how old is your child?

Here are some thoughts: There’s much more to add. Others will jump in and play in the jigsaw puzzle.

Odds are, your child has a great memory for words and concepts presented in words—this is called Semantic Memory. A lively discusser, I’ll wager. ( Make sure you keep this going by supporting with book on tape while you get to the underlying reading/writing issues.) (S)he looks like (s)he has solid naming skills. True? (Someone without this skill has trouble naming things—can pick out of a list, but trouble finding the word in memory.)

(S)he is a very slow processor—probably visually more than auditorally. These children may often be slow to perceive non-verbal social cues and/or be slightly out-of-sync rhythmically. Does this describe your child?

Even with a 30% margin for error, this child seems to have a profound ability to use visual judgement: a helpful thing when processing speed is very slow. Is very orderly in visual processing, I believe. This could be the self-accommodation for a child with out-of-sync visual processing.

Now, some questions about reading:

1. Is the rate very slow and methodical or does the student try to go very fast and skip easy words? I’ll wager it’s really slow and methodical. Slow may seriously affect comprehension, too.

2. Does your child perceive visual patterns in words easily/had good phonics instruction so that word recognition is high? Sometimes, though, they haven’t had and do need good visual phonics (there is this component in Orton-Gillingham) to support their auditory language strengths.

3. I don’t perceive basic comprehension—drawing conclusions, prediction, vocabulary, to be a problem, howver, this student may have trouble “making movies” in his/her head while reading or listening. It is called visualizing. True?

I’ll look in again after you’ve posted responses.

Thank you for responding.
My son is 10.
Yes my son remebers things for the most part if he is read to but cant read alone very well.
Yes my son is out of sync with some social cues and stuff like that prefers to be alone too.
When he readsd it is slow but he confuese a lot of words can sound out a little but not too well.
When he sees a word he dont know he guesses all the time place for piece,etc…
NO he has no problem comphreheding as long as he can read it corresctly and that is becoming a problem he reads things as he thinks they should be when he makes the wrong guesses.
He has some speech problems as well and motor skills with visual stuff.

Dear Beth

The WISC-III scores identify cognitive or intellectual strengths and weaknesses. The test is reported in what are called standard scores. Standard scores have an average score, most often, of 100, and a standard deviation (or significant difference in ability) if there is a difference of 15 points or more among the IQ’s and Index scores.

The scores you present indicate that your son is very good when he needs to verbally understand the relationship between concepts. This is indicated by the verbal comprehension index score of 124 and by the Similarities Subtest score of 16. (Subtest scores have an average of 10 and a standard deviation of approximately 3). Clearly he also takes in a lot of verbal information as indicated by the Information subtest score of 15.

If you compare the Verbal IQ with the Performance IQ you again see a very important difference. 123-99 is a 24 point difference. The school program should build on the identified verbal strengths.

Scores also indicate difficulty with attention and processing speeds.

In order to really know how to help him there needs to be a closer review of other testing that was done including the tests of current academic achievement such as the Woodcock-Johnson.

Have accommodations that use books on tape been used? Does he use a word processor in school to complete assignments? Can he present a report on tape rather than in written format? These are two often recommended accommodations with a profile similar to the information you have provided.

Here is more on the testing process.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/assessment/tests_measurements.html

The best approach is to set up another meeting with the psychologist in the school who did the testing. Ask the psychologist to more carefully explain what the test results mean. Also ask the psychologist to explain to you how the problems identified in the WISC-III scores affect or limit your son’s work in the classroom. The psycholgist should also be part of the IEP team that helps set the goals.

If this does not work contact your local parent advocacy center and ask them for help. Also they may have someone who knows how to read the complete test scores. That way they can give more complete guidance. Here is a reference for the local parent advocacy centers by state.
http://www.ldonline.org/finding_help/local_org/locorg-help.html

Kathleen Ross-Kidder, Ph.D.
Director of LD OnLine
Virginia Licensed School Psychologist.

no he has never used books on tape we read everything to him .the school \psy says he should have extra time and some reduced work that is all.He does go to resource room and does speeling in there on the computer s his reversals arent as bad but that is all he does on the computer.I have asked for some more stuff said they will bring someone in after the first 9 weeks of school this year after they see haow he will do in 4 th grade.He had a wood cock john son in Feb of 2001 both cog and academinc the wisc was just giveen at the request of his psychartist he is dx with tourettes and ADHD and they are looking into bipolar too.

Find a good reading tutor. I’m partial, but I like folks trained in both Lindamood-Bell and Orton-Gillingham methods because it just gives a good diagnostic foundation. A certified teacher should have experience with the speed, accuracy, and comprehension pieces to the puzzle. Still inquire, though, because not everyone who teaches reading is a great reading teacher.

The pacing is so important with kids who have other issues besides just learning problems. For kids with high frustration intolerance, 1:1 with a very structured, gentle teacher are better than a group setting.

Schools are not often equipped to offer this and few teachers are really trained as good diagnostic instructors. Even those with M.S. degrees. Why? Most programs are whole-language controlled. I learned nothing about multisensory reading instruction in my coursework. In fact, my university wouldn’t even accept my college-level Lindamood and Orton courses for credit as part of the reading curricula!

Beth, what about the use of Write Out Loud in the classroom? It might help. Be SURE you are also remediating, however.