Friday, April 27, 2012

Neuropsychological report: lots of numbers & his teacher's perspective on it

I got Liam's report yesterday, and am still emotionally processing everything, so this post is basically just a summary of what the report says.  I will do a separate post on my reactions when I figure out how exactly I feel about it.

Liam was given two measures of intelligence: Weschler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III) and Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test.  To understand the scores of his WPPSI results, see this page: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/highly_profoundly.htm
The highest he could have gotten on either subtest was a 155 and the highest overall he could have gotten was a 160.
Verbal IQ 129
Performance IQ 150
Full Scale IQ 144
His verbal IQ would have been quite a bit higher, but his score on one subtest was lower than the other area.  The highest a scaled score can be on any subtest is 19.  All of his performance subscales were 18.
His results on the Kaufman were also 144, which places him in the 99.8% on both IQ tests.  His non-verbal score on the Kaufman was a 160.

To test academic functioning, Liam was given the Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievment, 3rd edition.  Like IQ tests, the average score is 100.  His scores varied between a 123 and 188, with most of his scores being in the 140 range.  Grade equivalents were given and Liam's academic functioning is that of a child near the end of 1st grade. His basic reading skills were 154 (higher than the 99.9%) and his math reasoning was a 145 (at the 99.9% level). His lowest scoring area was spelling with a 123 and his highest was writing samples with a 188.

His motor skills were assessed with the Beery VMI and his motor coordination was in the 5th percentile.  His score was a 76, which is just about the cut off for receiving OT services, but compared to his knowledge, this is a huge weakness for him.

His speech was tested with the following measures: Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT-II), Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-IV), and NEPSY Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment--Second Edition.  All language testing showed him to score above average.

Summary and Impressions: "Liam's overall intellectual abilities are clearly in the highly gifted range and his nonverbal reasoning skills are in the very superior range, falling a full four standard deviations above average performance."  That is a direct quote from the report, and I will note here that scores only have to be 2 standard deviations above average to qualify as gifted and Liam's nonverbal reasoning is 4 standard deviations above. She notes that while his intelligence is a strength, it places him at increased risk for social maladjustment.  His language scores ranged from average to superior, showing some pockets of weakness. His scores of social perception were average which is "well below expectations given his general intellectual abilities."  That is again a direct quote.  During the parent conference, she talked about Liam not being on the autism spectrum, but I am guessing she kept the diagnosis given this.

She talks about his only overt weakness was on paper and pencil tasks of graphomotor precision, and this was despite the fact that he has been doing OT since 24 months of age.  She notes that findings show a "relative weakness" in language related to pragmatic language and conversation, as well as social functioning. "Overall, Liam continues to show patterns of difficulty involving pragmatic language, mildly restricted interest levels, sensrimotor concerns, and difficulty with social integration characteristic of individuals with pervasive developmental disorder."

The diagnoses she gave are:
Axis I:
299.80 Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified
311.00 Anxiety Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
315.4 Developmental Motor Coordination Disorder

Recomendations: She recommends continued "intensive occupational and speech therapy interventions."  She talks about increased fine motor demands in kindergarden and says that it is extremely important that OT not be interrupted and be provided in both the school setting as well as in private therapy.  She cites Liam's problems with pragmatic language as the likely reason for his social delays. She notes that his extreme intelligence is a risk for additional social difficulties. She recommends ongoing speech therapy and social skills groups to address these needs. She notes that "Liam does show indications of significant underlying anxiety."  She says the move this summer will likely make his anxiety worse and recommends formal counseling to address this. She ends by saying that it is extremely important that Liam is in an educational setting that addresses his very superior intellectual and academic skills, and recommends placement in a self-contained program for the highly gifted.

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Below is the reponse from Liam's special education teacher about the report, as well as her suggestions for modifications to his IEP.  She has known Liam for 2 years and is such an asset and a wonderful advocate for Liam.  She is one of the many reasons I will be sad to leave Alaska.

"Wow...I just finished reading Liam's report and did not find any real surprises. His intelligence is really up there isn't it :-) I've always known that but it's good to have it on paper for your move :-) With the interspersed delays and high intelligence it's easy to see why there are emotional/anxiety issues. He's going to be (and probably already has been) a difficult boy to raise. But you two have done everything right! The trick will be to keep that going in Alabama :-) I was glad to see that my scores were mostly in agreement with yours (although I don't get to see the real meltdowns and adaptive delays). It's good to know how well he's able to hold it together here (although then you get the brunt of it!)
Thanks for sharing the report with me. I'm glad to know that we've always been on the same page! If there is anything else I can do for you all before you move, please let me know. I'm thinking of giving him support in kindergarten throughout the entire day, at least to start. Then the hours may be able to be reduced (once he gets used to the new, full-day setting). What do you think? If we don't give him 32.5 hours of special education, we could still give him some plus make sure before/after school, recess, and lunch are covered for awhile. And I will be putting in that he'll need a quiet place to go when needed and possibly an individual work station for times needed. What do you think?"

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