The full text of this was just posted under Homeschooling an LD child, but specifically we are looking to request psyc. test from a private tester and we are unsure which ones would provide the most insight on our son’s behalf. In addition to those tests listed on the Homeschool board we are also curious about the TONI-3; and the Slossen. Thanks.
Hi,
Generally, the WISC is considered one of the more reliable and helpful as far as intelligence tests are concerned, especially because it gives at least two types of “intelligence”, which is now generally understood not to be a “discrete” or “global” ability to learn, but rather a set of “intelligences” covering different kinds of ability. The two types measured by the WISC include Verbal ability and visual/motor ability, called the Performance scale in the WISC. When there are dramatic differences between the two types, that in itself has some interesting implications for educational interventions, but an experienced examiner should be able to explain all of that to you.
The two tests you mentioned, the TONI and the Slossen, are roughly equivalent to these two types of intelligence, as the Slossen covers mostly verbal intelligence and the TONI is a non-verbal, or performance type of test. However, they are more limited than the WISC because they don’t give a breakdown of the different subtests within, which might give you more information about your child’s strengths and weaknesses within those global areas. Another verbal test that has good reliability is the PPVT, which can be administered by many SLPs as well as psych’s, and the score often closely approximates the score of the Verbal part of the WISC.
Hope this helps!
Sharon