Hi-
I have just recently began using this message board. I shamefully admit that though I thought I understood everything that was going on with our case, I am not even close to “getting it”. My boy has had the following tests, w/scores. He is now in an LD classroom for math, writing, reading for approx 2 1/2- 3 hours a day, working at his level; while his regular class is doing the same classwork, but at their level. He goes to Speech, two days a week for 20 minutes each day. When I asked the school psychologist what type of LD it was, he said it was unclear, and we may never know. Through the information gained from this message board, I am convinced to get an outside evaluation regarding this. I have an appointment with a ped. regarding how to persue this.
It was suggested to me by a message board person to post these test results and that some of you may be able to help me understand more. I’d like to add that there is a comment in the IEP that says my boy “has strong phonemic awareness, but is a phonetic speller.”
Our boy was 8 yrs 8 mths at the time of testing.
This is what I can tell you:
Classroom scores : Spelling 34%, Reading Placement 43%, Weekly Reading Tests-69%, Daily math-50% (I think these scores are based on curve method)
Teacher Comments-Well behaved, good effort, well liked by peers, has limited confidence as a learner, positive attitude, quiet, seldoms initiates classroom discussion.
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-3rd Addition
Verbal Sub-tests: (Scoring SS)
Information 12
Similarities 8
Arithmetic 6
Vocabulary 9
Comprehension 7
Digit Span 6
Perfromance Sub-tests:
Picture Completion 9
Coding 11
Picture Arrangement 8
Block Design 11
Object Assembly 7
Symbol Search 9
Verbal IQ- 91 or 27th %ile
Performance IQ - 95 or 37th %ile
Full Scale IQ - 92 or 30th %ile
Comments: He’s in the average range. There is no discrepency between testing verbal vs visual. Weaknesses- Short Term Memory & Verbal Memory tests that require sustained attention.
Woodcock Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities
Short Term Memory- SS 83
Numbers Reversed- SS 94
Memory of Words- SS 77
Woodcock Johnson Test III of Achievement
Accademically is average to below.
Cluster tests reveal his strengths are in listening comprehension, oral language, academic knowledge, and oral expression with scores between 93-109.
Weaknesses are in reading comprehension, academic fluency, total achievement, basic writing, broad written language, broad reading, math calculation skills, written expression, academic skills and broad math with scores from 71 to 81.
Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation (Speech)
Standard score 95 or 12%ile age equivalency of 5 yrs 6 mths
Test of Examining Expressive Morphology TEEM
Scored 50 out of 54 age equivalency over 8 yrs
Comments: Delays in expressive speech/language skills.
Re: Need Help on Scores
This is a kiddo with real strengths — and real challenges that they don’t seem to be seeing. As you probably already know, 10 is average — anythign from 9-11 is within average range. So, that 12 in Information says he’s picked up more general knowledge about school-type stuff than most kids his age. The high coding is unusual — that’s often the first to take a nose dive because it requires motor skills and the ability to figure out a totally arbitrary puzzle with funky symbols, and it’s timed. DOes he tend to get anxious and freeze if he’s not sure what to do — but will charge ahead and shine if he does?
His weakest scores were the ones involving short term auditory memory — digit span and arithmetic. Arithmetic doesn’t involve anything like advanced arithmetic skills — easy arithmetic problems that just get longer and longer (more addition or subtraction steps) are spoken to you and your job is to figure ‘em out as they’re spoken to you, or remember the whole thing and figure it out at the end. (Obviously the kid who figures out the strategy that works best for him has a huge advantage here… teaching kids to figure out strategies for approaching problems is a great idea for increasing their intelligence both on tests and in the real world.)
HE doesn’t fit any of the “classic” patterns of kids with LDs. However, the whole idea of figuring out “just what LD the kid has” is overrated in my opinion. Its’ more useful to figure out what he’s good at and try to use that to build on the things he struggles at and build his confidence, and to figure out where he’s struggling and work on the why and focus on it…
Are those percents for “classroom scores” or percentiles? If they’re percentiles he’s in okay shape — that’s his rank and 50% would be right in the middle. Obviously, if they’re percents of what he’s getting out of what’s being taught, he’s missing an awful lot.
PLEASE GO TO wrightslaw.com- they have a great link on testing and what it means and how to interpret. Also with the speech- HOW long has your child been receiving services? this sounds like your school district dropped the ball and kicked it far afield? has he had wepman auditory discrimination test? has he had a CAPD screening is there an educational audilogist on board with yoour school district (if they can’t do the diagnosis- and it sounds like they can’t- you need to go to someone who CAN- and THEY need to pay for it) - this is riduculous- these people need to do their jobs! good luck and god bless
forgive me if I sound angry- we’ve had a bit of a trip with our oldest boy!