WISC-R performance patterns of learning-disabled children from Papago culture

Relevance of WISC-III Indicators for Assessment of Learning Disabilities

The reliable and accurate diagnosis of learning disabilities (LD) is a prevailing concern for school psychologists and educators. Research seeking specific LD markers has often focused on the identification of characteristic performance profiles on cognitive measures. This study analyzed the scores of 308 learning disabled students on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISGIII). Variability indices, patterns of subtest strengths and weaknesses, and postulated profiles based on factor scores and recategorizations were examined in an attempt to identify useful diagnostic indicators. Factor scores were derived and clustered via a hierarchical group procedure in order to ascertain the presence of potential LD subgroups. Findings provide little support for the use of WISCIII subtest patterns in the diagnosis of learning disabilities. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

The cross-cultural validity of the Learning Disability Index: a reanalysis of Mishra's data

This study investigated the nature of a learning disability index (LDI) for the objective assessment of verbal-nonverbal patterns of intellectual deficit on the WISC-R. The Factor II score coefficients derived from an unrotated principal components analysis of the WISC-R normative data, in combination with the individual's (or group's) average scaled scores, are used for this purpose. The mean LDI of various groups of learning disabled children, including Mishra's (1984a; 1984b) Mexican-American and Papago groups, are shown to be reliably different from the mean LDI of the normative population and thus demonstrate its cross-cultural validity.