Choose your IQ test ? (What's recommended for FASD?)

[eoffg]

On another forum, a mother of a 10 year old adopted DD, that had pre-natal substance exposure.
Has been offered an assessment using the WAIS test.  (Weschler Abreviated Intelligence Scale)
Asking if she should request a WISC test instead?

But I looked into WAIS, which also provides what is officially recognized as a valid IQ score.
Just as Weschlers WISC test, is also recognized as providing a valid IQ score.

Though I looked for research that compared WAIS with WISC ?
Where I found a study that did a comparison study?
Crucially what it identified?
Is that when a group of students did both the WAIS and WISC tests?
Which both report an IQ score.
That on average, they had an average 12 point higher IQ score on the WAIS test.
(With a range from 10 to 15 points higher)
Yet an important point, is that both tests are officially recognized, as providing valid IQ scores.

So that we can have 2 different valid IQ scores, depending on which test we did?

In the conclusion of this study, they raised the question about how this related to an assessment for IDD Intellectual Development Disorder, ( the new term for Mental Retardation).
Where using the WAIS test with its 12 point higher IQ score, would remove many from qualifying as IDD, and denying them access to services.
Yet if they had done the WISC test, they may have qualified?

Where we are not talking about just a couple of points difference?
But an average 12 point difference!

Though I'm also thinking about this, in relation to FASD and pre-natal substance exposure?
Where a child might be given a WAIS test, instead of WISC test?
The A in WAIS stands for 'abbreviated'.
I can see how a parent could agree to an 'abbreviated' test instead, being less of a strain.
Having been told that it will provide an officially recognized IQ score.
What they wont be told, is that it will artificially inflate their IQ score, by 10 to 15 points?

Whilst this test might be given to a child?
That reports their IQ at that age, as part of their documented history.
With an IQ that has been inflated by 10 to 15 points.

When perhaps 10 years later, they do the other WAIS test?
(Weschler Adult IS, instead of Weschler Abbreviated IS)
Their would be a 10 to 15 point drop in the IQ scores.

Which in fact, was not actually a drop in IQ ?
But was a result of using a different test !

What really concerns me, is how an abbreviated WAIS test could contaminate one's history?
If one has FASD or IDD?
So that as maybe a 20 year old, they apply for services?
Which requires providing a history of testing.
Where this abbreviated WAIS test as a 10 year old, shows that they had a significantly higher IQ when they 10 years old.
Which has declined since then.
But FASD and IDD, will have effects from birth, and wont just cause an IQ decline after the age of 10.

So that a much earlier WAIS (abbreviated) IQ score, could be used to deny services?
As their was no difficulty before the age of 10.

Though I can't understand how both of these tests can provide a valid officially recognized IQ score?
If they both provide very different scores?

[healthy11]

According to www.Pearsonclinical.com,
WAIS = Weschler ADULT Intelligence Scale designed for ages 16-89;
WASI = Weschler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence is designed for ages 6.0-90.11
WISC = Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children ages 6.0 - 16.11

Having clarified that WAIS and WASI are NOT the same, a child age 10 years should never be given the WAIS; I presume his mother was instead asked about giving him the WASI.

In any case, there are many different IQ tests that can be administered to a 10-year-old, even beyond the WISC or WASI. Many parents (on this forum and others) have found that children with weak language skills score higher when they are given non-verbal IQ tests such as the UNIT (for ages 5-17.11), C-TONI (for ages 6-89.11), or Leiter (for ages 2-21) ~ I'm not saying that's the situation with the adopted boy in question, but my point is that it's highly unlikely the child will score the same on any two different tests, even if he took them the same day. (And IQ tests are generally "a snapshot" of a child ~ if they happened to have a cold, or didn't get a good night's sleep, or were hungry, it could affect their scores on any given day.) When you consider taking different tests, years apart, it's understandable that scores aren't likely to be the same.

Other things can also cause significant changes...for example, when a 6 year old is tested, they are "normed" against other young children who aren't expected to be reading; a child who scores "high" may have benefited from parents giving him many different experiences and exposed him to a rich vocabulary in his early years, such that he understands sequences, patterns, more word meanings, etc. In later years, schools expect children to read in order to keep learning; a child who can't focus or attend well, whether due to FASD or some other issues, may not keep expanding their knowledge at the same rate as their age-mates. At some point, it may show up as decreased intelligence, relative to their peers.
_________________________________________________________________

eoffg, I'm trying to understand exactly what the parent is hoping will happen for her adopted child. It sounds like the parent is afraid that if her child scores "higher than IDD level" he won't be eligible for any services. As I understand it, most schools who have children that test with very low IQ scores don't even attempt to teach them academic skills, but rather "life skills," such as how to dress themselves, etc. It seems to me that the parent would WANT to know the child's higher potential, and if it's through a score on the WASI or obtained by a non-verbal test like the UNIT or C-TONI, that's fine. Then, the school should not disqualify her child for any services, but rather compare his current achievement level to his potential, and teach him in an environment better suited to his style of learning.

P.S. eoffg, I expanded the title of your original post, hoping that people like empeg, who has more knowledge of children with FASD, will respond.

[michellea]

Most of my clients score higher on the WASI than the WISC - including my own son. The WASI only uses a few subtests and for many of my clients they do not include the areas that are weakest. It seems to me that when making a diagnosis as opposed to a screen or progress monitoring, an evaluator might use a more robust test with all the recommended subtests. I have also noticed that although test scores change slightly each time they are administered, for most students the patterns stay the same - for example - they may be stronger verbally or non verbally may have a pattern of weaker/stronger performance scores (working memory or processing speed). The absolute scores may fluctuate, but the patterns remain the same. My son has demonstrated the same pattern of relative strengths and weaknesses on the WJ-Cog, DAS, WISC and WAIS. His scores are slightly different every time.

Regarding FASD - I have noticed that of the 3 students I work with that suspect FASD - 2 have demonstrated overall declines in WISC testing over 5-6 years. Again, the pattern of relative strengths and weakness continue, but each student had accross the board drops in most subtests year over year. One had the CTONI when she was very young, and the overall score was actually lower than the WISC.

[eoffg]

Healthy,
This mother is just starting on the diagnostic process, with this test being offered by a university.
The child is also home-schooled.
Where she asked about how valid this abbreviated WASI test is, and if she should request a WISC test?
I hadn't heard of the WASI test, so I had a look into it?
Where it is so bad, that it wouldn't even qualify as a 'Screener'?
Given that it provides wrong data.
The only use I can see of it?
Is a test that schools could use, to deny a student a diagnosis of an LD?

[healthy11]

No single test should be used to deny a student a diagnosis of an LD. If the child is in the U.S. (I can't speak for Australia) then as a minimum, the child should be given an intelligence (IQ) test, such as the WISC, which is supposed to show the "potential" a student has
AND
the child should be given an achievement test, such as the WIAT, which is supposed to show how the child is performing as of now.
A simplistic explanation is that if the child has the capability of learning (which is revealed by the IQ testing) but they aren't performing up to their capabilities (which the achievement test should show) then they likely have a learning disability.
(Most parents desire to see a higher score on IQ testing, and a lower score on achievement testing, which usually means the child is capable of learning, but methods of teaching probably need to be changed in order for the child to reach their potential.)

A more comprehensive evaluation consists of more than just an IQ and achievement test, and would look at specific areas of concern that a parent has (for example, a child with suspected writing difficulties might be given the TOWL - you can read more about different types of testing here: concordspedpac.org/TypesTests.html )

[empeg1]

Really the most important issue is not WISC or WAIS. The real issue is make sure an assessment of adaptive functioning is done, even if IQ is within normal limits, as IQ does NOT predict IQ in FASD. And it is adaptive functioning that really is more predictive of how the person will function in the world. Plus, the assessor should know that tremendous scatter in scores is not atypical but rather typical in FASD. Plus, the assessor should look to subtests such as arithmetic, coding, and digit span to see the scores with FASD. That and executive functioning should be assessed well in addition to intelligence testing along with memory. Plus, social thinking and ability to recognize risk, huge factors in FASD

[healthy11]

Empeg, with the child being only 10 years old, which specific tests would you recommend that the mother ask for?
eoffg, do you know if the child is going to be evaluated by a public school district, or privately?