Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children-Revised Research Articles

Ability profiles of developmental language disordered and learning disabled children: A comparative analysis

Developmental language disorder (DLD) children and learning‐disabled (LD) children were classified into subtypes. These subtype classifications were based on the child's Wide Range Achievement Test‐Revised (WRAT‐R) profile of Reading, Spelling, and Arithmetic standard scores. Such subtyping resulted in both groups of chil‐ • dren being predominantly classified with globally impaired reading, spelling, and arithmetic disabilities. Although both groups of these globally impaired children demonstrated similar degrees of reading, spelling, and arithmetic disability ^ they differed markedly from each other on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children‐Revised (WISC‐R) verbal subtests. The DLD children were significantly more impaired than the LD children on WISC‐R Verbal subtests. Additionally, there was an atypical pattern of correlation between WISC‐R Verbal subtests for the DLD children. These findings suggest that DLD and LD children with globally impaired reading, spelling, and arithmetic skill differ m...

Relative usefulness of elevation, variability, and shape information from WISC—R, K-ABC, and Fourth Edition Stanford-Binet profiles in predicting achievement.

Scatter analysis of IQ profiles has a long and controversial history. We conducted this study to determine whether the validity of scatter information is any greater for 2 new IQ batteries, the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) and the Fourth Edition Stanford-Binet (SB4), than for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R). Within a sample of referred children, we computed numerical indexes of profile elevation, shape, and variability for all IQ tests. Using hierarchical multiple regression with achievement scores as dependent variables, we found shape information had marginal incremental validity over elevation as a predictor for the WISC-R, even less for the SB4, and virtually none for the K-ABC. We discuss implications of these results.

Hypochloremic Metabolic Alkalosis From Ingestion of A Chloride-Deficient Infant Formula: Outcome 9 and 10 Years Later

In 1978 and 1979 two infant formulas, Neo-Mull-Soy and Cho-Free, were found to be deficient in chloride. The Centers for Disease Control received reports that hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis (HMA) had developed in 141 children as a result of exposure to these formulas. Thirty-five of these children were examined at 9 and 10 years of age and compared with a group of 32 children who were exposed to the chloride-deficient formulas but were not reported to experience HMA and a group of 61 children who received chloride-sufficient soy formulas in infancy. The control children were matched to the HMA children on sex, race, age, and maternal education. Growth characteristics, performance on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), the Boston Naming Test, the Rey-Osterrieth Test, the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Revised (CELF-R), and subtests from several other speech and language tests were compared across the groups. After adjustment for family income and the level of the father's education, significantly lower scores were observed in the HMA children on the WISC-R Arithmetic subtest (mean = 10.5) compared with the soy control children (mean = 12.0, P less than .05) and on the WISC-R Coding subtest (mean = 9.0) compared with the soy control children (mean = 10.8, P less than .01). All the WISC-R subtest scores were, however, within the normal range. Although no significant differences occurred on the CELF-R between groups, the risk of an HMA child falling below the range expected for a standard population was increased on the CELF-R Composite Total, Receptive, and Expressive Language scores: risk ratios = 2.14, 2.14, and 3.03 respectively. Significant differences were observed between the children exposed, both HMA and non-HMA children, and the soy control children for behavioral problems as determined by the Achenbach Childhood Behavioral Checklist. It is concluded that as a group, children with documented HMA appear to have recovered from their growth failure and have normal cognitive development. They may, however, be at risk for deficits in language skills that require expressive language abilities.

Concurrent validity of the Stanford-Binet, 4th Edition: Agreement with the WISC—R in classifying learning disabled children.

Concurrent validity of the Stanford-Binet, 4th Edition (SBIV) was studied in 80 learning disabled children assigned to 3 groups according to Verbal and Performance IQ differences on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R)

Corrected confidence intervals for quotients on the WISC-R, by level of quotient

New confidence intervals for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) are provided to improve accuracy over existing tables (which center the confidence interval on the child's actual quotient and construct intervals upon the standard error of measurement). These new tables follow Schulte and Borich (1988) in centering confidence intervals on the estimated true IQ and constructing intervals with either the standard error of estimate or the standard error of prediction. The tables are more conservative and reflect more accurate statistical formulas for the construction of WISC-R confidence intervals for WISC-R quotients.

A Correlational Study of the Stanford-Binet IV and the Wisc-R

This study examined the correlation of scores from the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, 4th Edition (SBIV) with scores from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Revised (WISC-R) in a heterogeneous sample of 168 school children across three age groups (6.0 to 8.11, 9.0 to 12-11 and 13.0 to 16.11 years of age). The results of this study indicated that the SBIV has a significant positive relationship with the WISC-R and this is consistent with findings reported by the test authors for the SBIV.

Subtle Neuropsychological Deficits in Children With Sickle Cell Disease

Forty-three children and adolescents (8-16 years old) with sickle cell disease (SCD) and no overt neurologic dysfunction were evaluated with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT), and an age-appropriate version of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB). Thirty similar-aged siblings were controls. WISC-R performance and full-scale IQs were lower (p less than 0.05) for patients than sibling controls. No significant differences were seen on the WRAT. Patients with SCD missed more school days than controls (p less than 0.001) but did not differ from controls in academic performance or the proportion in special education. On the LNNB, scores for patients and controls 13 years and older did not differ. However, young patients had significantly elevated (abnormal) scores compared with controls on the following scales: expressive speech, writing, reading, arithmetic, memory, and pathognomonic. The possibility that subtle neuropsychological deficits in younger patients with SCD reflect either subclinical strokes or a predisposition for strokes merits further investigation in a large multi-institution study.

The ACID pattern and the freedom from distractibility factor in a child psychiatric population

The prevalence of the ACID pattern and the Freedom From Distractibility factor were compared in a child psychiatric population. The ACID pattern consists of an impairment in the Arithmetic, Coding, Information, and Digit Span subtest scores relative to the remaining subtests. An impairment in the Freedom From Distractibility factor requires that Coding, Arithmetic, and the Digit Span subtest scores be lower relative to the mean PIQ and VIQ. Although the ACID pattern was present in grouped data, very few individuals actually had such a profile (.6%). The pattern reflecting disorders in the Freedom From Distractibility factor was a prominent feature in this population, occurring in 11% of the children. Such distractible children were found to have a significantly higher VIQ and FSIQ and were more likely to demonstrate a learning disability than the remaining psychiatric group. Interestingly, a factor analysis indicates that the Freedom From Distractibility factor in a psychiatric population includes the Block Design subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children‐Revised (WISC‐R) in addition to the usual Coding, Arithmetic and Digit span subtests found in the normal population.

Patterns of intellectual differences of black, hispanic, and white children

Patterns of intellectual differences among children of different ethnic groups on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) were examined. Full Scale IQ was used as a covariate in a multivariate analysis of covariance. The results indicated that when overall IQ is held constant, Black children perform better on verbal tasks, Hispanic children perform better on visual-spatial tasks, and White children perform better on tasks requiring abstract thinking and knowledge of facts. The implications of these results regarding assessment practices are discussed.

Assessment of attention in children

Abstract A continuous performance test of attention (SCAT; Seidel Continuous Attention Test) was administered to 128 normative subjects and 22 subjects diagnosed with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADDH), who ranged in age between 6 and 11 years. Overall performance was related to age, while reaction time was also significantly related to gender. Significant correlations were obtained between performance on the SCAT and (1) teacher ratings of school performance, (2) those subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) that have been reported to load on an attention factor, and (3) particular factor scales obtained from the Conners Parent and Teacher Questionnaires. Significant differences in performance were revealed between ADDH and matched control groups on the SCAT. Preliminary evidence is presented on the validity and reliability of the SCAT as a measure of attention.

WISC—R patterns of cognitive abilities in behavior disordered and learning disabled children.

Both behavior disorder (BD) and learning disability (LD) are frequently diagnosed in the same children. This study comprises 2 parts. First, previously published data were examined to compare the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) profiles of groups of children diagnosed as BD and to assess the fit of their scores to the Learning Disability Index (LDI). Second, new data were secured from a total of 171 children, diagnosed as BD, LD, or both (BD-LD)

Intellectual functioning in Fragile X syndrome school children

Aspects of intellectual function were investigated in a school age sample of Fragile X individuals employing the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children — Revised (WISC-R). Results indicated that the general ability of the sample was substantially below normaltive average. More important, this result was forced by the significantly lower performances of males compated with females. With the exception of one skill, females had significantly higher WISC-R sub-test scores than males. The exception was for Digit Span indicating that females had a specific weakness in short-term memory. There was a nonsignificant negative correlation between X fragility and IQ for males. There was no correlation between fragility and IQ for females. There was a nonsignificant negative correlation between age and IQ for females. There was no correlation between age and IQ for males. These results are discussed in terms of previous findings and their implications for education of Fragile X individuals.

An Analysis of WISC-R Factors for Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities

Intellectual patterns of gifted students with learning disabilities were studied to determine cognitive factors characterizing these children. Twenty-four gifted children with learning disabilities (LD) and a control group of nondisabled gifted children were administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) (Wechsler, 1974). While differences between the two groups on individual subtests were examined, a comparison of broader factors was emphasized in discovering cognitive patterns that might suggest effective intervention. Experimental and control performances were compared on 14 factor scores, using cognitive classification systems of Bannatyne (1971), Kaufman (1975), Rapaport, Gill, and Schafer (1946), and Wechsler (1974). Gifted students with LD were more reliant on verbal conceptualization and reasoning than the control students. They also demonstrated deficiencies in short-term auditory memory and sound discrimination. The gifted group with LD exhibited the Organic Brain Syndrome factor (Wechsler, 1974) to a significantly greater extent than did the control group.

Frequency of discrepancies between deviation quotients in profiles of children with above-average IQs on the Wechsler intelligence scale for children—Revised

To determine the relative rarity (frequency of occurrence) of quotient discrepancies on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Revised (WISC-R), clinicians currently consult standard tables whose figures are based on “ all children” in the standardization sample. Such tables are misleading, however, for children at higher IQ levels, where consistently larger discrepancies are found. For children with quotients of 115 and higher, we have constructed a more accurate table, which reflects the prevalence of these larger discrepancies. Though theoretically derived, the table has been confirmed through empirical observation of the WISC-R standardization sample. Use of this table should reduce the “overdiagnosis” of purported learning problems but at the same time allow for accurate identification of Third Factor discrepancies at a time when they are of increasing clinical interest.

A Comparison Of ADD/H Children and Clinical Controls on the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC)

Thirty-eight consecutive referrals to an outpatient pediatric diagnostic clinic for children with deficiencies in academic performance were classified as either (a) having Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADD/H) or (b) non-ADD/H clinical controls based upon DSM-III criteria and multi-situational parent and teacher behavior ratings with standardized scales. All participants (23 ADD/H and 15 clinical controls) were administered the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R). ADD/H subjects differed significantly from clinical controls on the Sequential Processing scale of the K-ABC and on the WISC-R Freedom from Distractability factor. The significantly lower performance of the ADD/H group on the K-ABC Sequential Processing Scale was due primarily to lower scaled scores on the Word Order subtest. These findings are compared to studies of the K-ABC with learning-disabled populations. Applications of the K-ABC to the diagnosis of cognitive deficits and remedial planning in ADD/H children are discussed.

Criterion-related validity of the WISC-R performance scale with the Stanford achievement test—Hearing-impaired edition

The criterion-related validity of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) Performance scale was tested with the Stanford Achievement Test, Special Edition for Hearing-Impaired Students (SAT-HI). Rank order correlations between WISC-R Performance IQs and SAT-HI subtest scaled scores and percentile ranks were calculated from archival test score data for 83 deaf children enrolled in a residential school ( M=12.6 years, SD=2.3 years). The correlations range between .24 and .57 ( p<.01), with four of five percentile rank p values significantly higher than paired scaled score ps. It is concluded the WISC-R Performance scale has adequate criterion-related validity, and SAT-HI percentile ranks may provide a better metric than scaled scores for use as a criterion.

Add Students With and Without Dyslexia Differ in Sensitivity to Rhyme and Alliteration

Children with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and dyslexia (n = 82) made significantly more errors than normally reading children with ADD (n = 83) on a simple auditory test of phonological sensitivity to rhyme and alliteration (Bradley, 1984). A subgroup of children with dyslexia who were sensitive to rhyme and alliteration had higher scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) Spatial factor than a dyslexic subgroup who were phonologically insensitive. In multiple regression analyses, age-corrected phonological sensitivity scores contributed significantly to the prediction of both reading and spelling Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) scores, this beyond the contribution of WISC-R variables. Of interest for dyslexia subtyping theories, Spatial factor scores had a subtractive effect in these regression analyses.

Information processing deficits of schizophrenic children with formal thought disorder

The relations among formal thought disorder, the partial report span of apprehension task, the distractibility factor on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), and IQ scores were examined in 31 schizophrenic children, aged 7.4 to 12.5 years. The partial report span of apprehension scores of the schizophrenic children correlated significantly with their illogical thinking scores. Their scores on loose associations were significantly associated with the WISC-R distractibility factor score. The attention/information processing deficits that might underlie the clinical manifestations of illogical thinking and loose associations in childhood onset schizophrenia are discussed.

Attention Deficit Disorder and the Mediating Effect of Age on Academic and Behavioral Variables

Seventy-nine children, independently diagnosed as having attention deficit disorder (ADD) with or without hyperactivity and ranging in age from 6 years, 0 months, to 12 years, 11 months, were administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT), and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBC). Multiple regression analyses indicated a significant multiple correlation between age and achievement variables (R = 0.42, p = 0.003) and age and behavioral (CBC) variables (R = 0.55, p = 0.01). Post hoc analyses indicated that much of this variance was accounted for by a significant negative association between age and Full Scale IQ-WRAT Arithmetic difference scores, and significant positive correlations between age and scores on the Social Withdrawal and Uncommunicative scales from the CBC. A nonparametric chi-square analysis indicated that older children with ADD are significantly more likely (p = 0.037) than younger ADD children to have a discrepancy of 15 or more points between IQ and math achievement scores. Results suggest that older ADD children are more likely than younger ADD children to experience academic and socioemotional difficulties.

Identifying Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder with the WISC-R and the Stroop Color and Word Test

Twenty-nine children with a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) were compared to a group of 21 emotionally disturbed (ED) children and a control group (CO) of 20 nonproblem children. The meaures used in the comparison were the 12 subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and the Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT). The results showed that the CO group was superior to the ADHD and ED groups and that the ED group performed better than the ADHD group on most of the variables. A stepwise discriminant function analysis showed that similar WISC-R subtests differentiated between the ADHD group and the ED and CO groups. Two measures of the SCWT helped in discriminating between the ADHD and ED groups, but not between the ADHD and CO groups. The authors discuss the meaning of these findings and their contribution to better understanding of the ADHD group, its specific cognitive processing, and its problems.