WISC-R Profiles of High Ability Children: Interpretation of Verbal-Performance Discrepancies

Abstract

In the administration and interpretation of WISC R profiles of children with high IQs (124+), clinicians may be misled if they follow the standard rules for subtest substitution and omission or use the standard "frequen cy of Verbal-Performance discrepancy" tables. Although . such tables are accurate for the "average" child, they greatly overestimate the rarity of rarity of V-P discrepancies in high IQ children (over half of whom show a V-P discrepancy larger than 15 points). To lend greater accuracy to the interpretation of WISC-R profiles of high IQ children, a specialized table is provided for determin ing the frequency of occurrence of V-P discrepancies in profiles of high IQ children and warnings are offered regarding the adverse effect of subtest substitution or omission when administering the WISC-R to high IQ children.

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