Language Mediation Hypothesis: Implications of Verbal/Performance Discrepancy and Reading Ability

Abstract

This study examined hypotheses regarding the role of verbal mediation in language processing by children with low verbal/high performance WISC profiles. Of specific interest was whether the verbal disability identified by the depressed Verbal IQ was related to either a specific verbal expression deficit or a more general symbolic mediation problem. Children in third through fifth grades (ages 8—12) with low verbal/high performance WISC profiles were evaluated using cognitive tasks which require verbal mediation strategies without requiring vocal responses. When the results of the nonvocal verbally mediated tasks closely approximated the lower Verbal IQ, children were placed in a General Language Disability group, and when results closely approximated the higher Performance IQ, they were considered to have a Specific Verbal Disability. The latter obtained reading scores significantly higher than the former children. The results support the contention that verbal mediation may be a viable construct for differentiating language-learning disabled children.