A Comparison of Intelligence Achievement Discrepancies between Learning Disabled and Non-Learning Disabled College Students

Abstract

This study compared achievement discrepancies for two groups of college students–-a randomly selected group of freshmen and a sample of students identified as learning disabled. Discrepancies were operationalized as differences between obtained achievement scores and scores predicted from intellectual measures. The Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery (Part II: Tests of Achievement) was used to assess reading, mathematics, written language, and knowledge. The three IQ scores from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised were used to predict achievement. The results of a multivariate analysis of variance revealed that, while students diagnosed as LD had greater discrepancies than non-LD students in all areas of achievement, there was such considerable overlap between the groups that discrepancies could not be considered diagnostic. These results suggest that a variety of characteristics and variables in addition to achievement discrepancies should be considered in the process of identification.

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