Need help understanding WPPSI scores!

[Ivy]

My daughter is 6 years old and her WPPSI-IV scores came back all over the map. We evaluated her because of ADHD tendencies.  We are not sure how to best help her and what's going on!

Verbal comprehension (VCI),  137 / 99%

Visual Spatial (VSI), 132 / 98%

Fluid Reasoning (FRI), 100 / 50%

Working Memory (WMI), 90 / 25%

Processing Speed (PSI), 94 / 34%

GAI, 132 / 98%

FSIQ, 121 / 92%

[PeterPan]

Did the psych also do an EF screener or some other tools? Clearly she's quite bright (gifted actually), and she has discrepancies in working memory and processing speed that will give her problems. Working memory you can improve by working on it. Processing speed, at least per the way it feels (not sure on the data), bumps with meds. Your dd's processing speed is about my dd's, and I can tell you it has been a constant plague. It's probably the thing that's the least obvious and what you most want to think is volitional or not trying hard enough. So on the one hand, she's SO impulsive and fast, and on the other she's slow, needs TIME to think, TIME to adjust, and wears out with anything requiring extensive processing. (latin, math, etc.)

I found Dyslexic Advantage helpful in understanding my dd's strengths. Definitely read across diagnoses like that and bring in good from the dyslexia community, the social thinking community, everywhere you find it.

What thing do you most need to improve? What drove the evals?

[PeterPan]

I'm no help to you on fluid reasoning because my dd's testing was an earlier version that didn't have that iirc. If ds' recent testing did, I didn't notice. He just totally flubbed that testing. Your standard deviations are either 10 or 15 on that test (google and see), so either way she has at least 2 standard deviations of discrepancy, meaning it's low relative to her abilities and likely to cause issues. So google what that is and how to intervene there.

 https://www.the-test-tutor.com/blogs/news/the-importance-of-fluid-reasoning-in-children  and another https://www.cognifit.com/science/cognitive-skills/shifting Here's what some googlefu turned up. Yeah, it's definitely something to put on your list. Sometimes what you do with stuff like that is just drip drip with it, kwim? Like you know it's an issue, so you just keep WEAVING IT IN. You might find a program or workbook or it, sure. But also just carry that concept into your math, your reading comprehension, your science, your discussions of current events, etc. 

Was there ever any discussion of her being on the spectrum? I haven't seen any charts correlating those scores and ASD, but it just seems kinda spectrumy. And of course you've got EF deficits (which it sounds like are at the heart of the fluid reasoning) in both ADHD and ASD. EF (executive function) would be your other term to look up. It's a pretty big umbrella, so you'll find plenty there.

There's a card game Fluxx that is considered good for that. Also the rigidity can have an anxiety component, so you'll want to know if they screened for that and consider doing mindfulness, interoception or body scans, maybe doing some supplements (based on genetics) for anxiety if that's present. 

Now I'm curious to go see if my ds had those scores in his last testing. He so did not participate and the scores were just about invalid, mercy. At this age, 6, kids are changing and sliding along labels. My best piece of advice is deal with exactly what you see and don't get hung up on the labels. The kid called ADHD today can get called ASD a few years down the road and what gets glossed as whatever gets called anxiety later. Labels change, but the kid is the same, the genetics the same. Nuts, the brains are the same and the MRIs of the social thinking parts of the brain in the ADHD and ASD. So ignore the labels and work with the kid, especially if the labels you're getting told don't quite make sense or seem complete. Sometimes things aren't obvious for a while.

Ha, I looked up ds' scores and the fluid reasoning was pretty reasonable, like 66 standard scale. That's still discrepant per IQ but he must have liked that section of the test or something, lol. His earlier IQ scores were the older WISC and didn't have fluid reasoning, so I can't see if they changed. Anyways, it's something you can work on and something that definitely shows up in real life. But it's not probably a fix but more like a drip drip, be aware, keep working on it.

Edited May 17, 2019 by PeterPan

[PeterPan]

How's her reading comprehension? 

Edited May 17, 2019 by PeterPan

[Terabith]

I have a child who presented somewhat like this, although her working memory is lower and her fluid reasoning higher, but she never took the WPPSI.  She has other issues (very high functioning ASD, anxiety) but educationally, it was obvious there were issues by four.  She still is basically a puzzle and frankly, the diagnosis that makes most sense is "complex learning disabilities."  Memory is definitely her biggest issue.  She's 14 now and she's doing fine.  Her spelling is pretty terrible, but spellcheck can catch most of her errors.  Math is a bit shaky.  She's very very smart but may not get a four year college degree; she certainly won't be eligible for the scholarships her sister likely will qualify for.  She has read well since about age 8, but she benefitted greatly from Wilson (an Orton Gillingham program for dyslexia).  She's making mostly B's in honors classes in public school presently.  She has good executive functioning, but her memory is a weird mixture of extremely good for certain things (narratives, facts on high interest topics) and extremely bad for other things (disjointed, decontextualized information she has little interest in - she still isn't solid on when her own birthday is).