Haley Wilde Cognitive Assessment

WISC-V Report
Reason for Referral
Testing Observations
Cognitive Assessment
Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children, 5th Edition (WISC-V)
Ronnie was administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition (WISC-V)
on November 9th, 2015. The WISC-V is an individually administered, comprehensive clinical
instrument used to assess the intellectual abilities of children ages 6 to 16. This assessment
provides a composite score that represents Ronnies overall intellectual ability or full scale
intelligence quotient (FSIQ), as well as index scores that measure five areas of cognitive
functioning: Verbal Comprehension (VCI), Visual Spatial Processing (VSI), Fluid Reasoning
(FRI), Working Memory (WMI), and Processing Speed (PSI). The FSIQ and index scores
between 90 and 109 are considered to be within the Average range. Each index includes two
separate subtests. Scores on subtests range from 1 to 19 with 8 to 12 being within the Average
range.
Ronnies performance on the WISC-V demonstrated that his cognitive functioning, indicated by
his Full Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) score, fell within the Low Average range, compared
to his same age peers (FSIQ = 82; PR = 12). If Ronnie was administered the WISC-V multiple
times, his FSIQ would be expected to fall within a range of 77 to 88, 95% of the time. It should
be noted that Ronnies performance amongst the five indexes was rather scattered in a nonunitary fashion. In order to better understand Ronnies cognitive abilities, it is important to pay
close attention Ronnies index performances, since each will provide more specific information
about Ronnies abilities within a particular domain of cognitive functioning. Ronnies
performance fell within the Average range for two indexes, specifically when he was asked to
use verbal information to reason such as how two words are alike or what different words mean
(VCI = 108; PR = 70) and when he was asked to use nonverbal information to solve novel tasks,
requiring deductive and inductive reasoning (FRI = 91; PR = 27). Additionally, in comparison to
his other scores, Ronnies performances on the Verbal Comprehension tasks were significantly
higher than his performances on the three other Indexes of the WISC-V (VCI > VSI; BR = 4.1;
VCI > WMI; BR = 1.3, VCI > PSI; BR = 3.4). Compared to his average performance on all the
other WISC-V Indexes, Ronnies performance on the Verbal Comprehension tasks were a
significant and unusual strength, for a difference this large only occurs in less than or equal to
2% of the population. Ronnies Visual Spatial Index scores, which were tasks that required him
to manipulate visual information to recreate designs and patterns, were uneven, and therefore
uninterpretable. Instead, we will interpret his individual subtest performances in the sections
below. These performances fell within the Average and Low Average ranges, (VSI = 84; PR =
14). In comparison, Ronnie struggled significantly when he was asked to apprehend, hold, and
manipulate information in his short-term memory (WMI = 76; PR = 5) and when asked to use
visual information to make quick and accurate decisions (PSI = 75; PR = 5), with his
performances falling within the Very Low range for both tasks.
Full Scale IQ

WISC-IV Data
Index Scores

Subtest

Scaled
Scores

Verbal Comprehension Index

Similarities
(VCI) SS= 108; 70%tile
Vocabulary
Visual Spatial Index (VSI)
Block Design
SS = **; **%tile
Visual Puzzles
Fluid Reasoning Index (FRI)
Matrix Reasoning
FSIQ = 82;
SS= 91; 27%tile
12%tile
Figure Weights
Working Memory Index (WMI)
Digit Span
SS= 76; 5%tile
Picture Span
Processing Speed Index (PSI)
Coding
SS= 75; 5%tile
Symbol Search
**Index not interpretable, however, score would have been reported as 84; 14%tile.

12
11
4
10
7
10
5
7
4
7

Verbal Comprehension
The Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) is designed to measure the ability to access and apply
his acquired word knowledge. Specifically, this score is intended to reflect his ability to verbalize
meaningful concepts, think about verbal information, and express himself using words. Ronnies
Verbal Comprehension performance was significantly higher than three other Index
performances (VCI > VSI; BR <= 4.1, VCI > FRI; BR <=11, VCI > PSI; BR <= 3.4) and
significantly and unusually higher than the Working Memory Index (VCI > WMI; BR <= 1.3) in
particular. Overall, Ronnies performance fell within the Average range (VCI = 108; PR = 70)
compared to his same age peers, but was an area of personal strength compared to his other
performances, which is a significant and unusual personal strength seen in less than or equal to
2% of the population (VCI > MIS; BR <= 2). Compared to his same age peers, Ronnie
demonstrated performances that fell within the Average range on both Verbal Comprehension
subtest that required him to describe similarities between words with common characteristics
(Similarities = 12; PR = 75) and provide oral definitions for vocabulary words (Vocabulary = 11;
PR = 63). Both of the Verbal Comprehension subtests demonstrated areas of personal strength
for Ronnie, for his Vocabulary performance was significantly and unusually stronger than his
average performance (BR <= 5-10) and his Similarities performance was significantly and
unusually higher compared to his average performance on WISC-V subtests as well (BR <= 2-5).
Processing Speed
The Processing Speed Index (PSI) is designed to measure the speed and accuracy of
identification, decision-making, and decision implementation when using visual information.
Overall, Ronnies performance fell within the Low range (PSI = 75; PR = 5) compared to his
same age peers, and was an area of personal weakness compared to his overall ability (PSI <
MIS; BR <= 15-25). Compared to his same age peers, Ronnie struggled on both of the subtests
involving timed tasks, one that required him to scan a group of symbols and mark the target
symbol (Symbol Search = 7; PR = 16) and another that required him to copy symbols that were
paired with numbers (Coding = 4; PR = 2%). In comparison to the other WISC-V subtests,
Ronnies performance on the Coding subtest was significantly and unusually lower than his
average performance, a discrepancy only seen in 5-10% of the population.
Fluid Reasoning
The Fluid Reasoning Index (FRI) is designed to measure the ability to detect the underlying
concepts that exist among visual objects as well as use reasoning skills to identify and apply
rules. These FRI tasks require inductive and quantitative reasoning, broad visual intelligence,

simultaneous processing, and abstract thinking. Overall, Ronnies performance fell within the
Average range (FRI = 91; PR = 27) compared to his same age peers. Ronnies performance on a
subtest that required him to identify a visual pattern that completes a puzzle under a time
constraint fell within the Low range (Matrix Reasoning = 7; PR = 16). In comparison, his
performance fell within the Average range for a subtest (Visual Puzzles = 10; PR = 50), which
required him to identify the missing pieces of patterns. Compared to his other performances,
Ronnies performance on Fluid Reasoning subtests indicated it as an area of personal strength
(FRI > WMI; BR = 16.9, FRI > PSI; BR = 18.4).
Visual Spatial
The Visual Spatial Index (VSI) is designed to measure the ability to evaluate and understand
visual details and spatial relationships in order to construct geometric designs. These skills
require visual spatial reasoning, integration and synthesis of part-whole relationships, and
attentiveness to visual detail, and visual-motor integration. Ronnie demonstrated uneven
performance across subtests within the VSI index and there was a significant and unusual
difference between the two subtests within this Index (Block Design < Visual Puzzles) making it
not interpretable; therefore we must examine the individual subtests. This significant and unusual
difference between subtests is only seen in less than or equal to 2% of the population. Ronnies
performance on a subtest that required him to view a completed puzzle and select three pieces
that together would reconstruct the puzzle fell within the Average range (Visual Puzzles = 10; PR
= 50) but when asked to view designs and use blocks to re-create each design, his performance
fell within the Low range (Block Design = 4; PR = 2) and was significantly and unusually lower
than his same age peers.
Working Memory
The Working Memory Index (WMI) is designed to measure the ability to register, maintain, and
manipulate visual and auditory information in his conscious awareness, which requires attention
and concentration, as well as visual and auditory discrimination. Overall, Ronnies WMI
performance fell within the Low range (WMI = 76; PR = 5) compared to his same age peers and
was an area of personal weakness (WMI < MIS; BR <= 10-15) compared to his overall ability.
Compared to his peers, Ronnies performance on a task that required him memorize pictures and
identify them in order on subsequent pages was weak (Picture Span = 7; PR = 16), as well as a
task that required him to recall strings of numbers that he heard aloud in the same order,
backward order, and ascending order (Digit Span = 5; PR = 5). Ronnies performance on the
Digit Span subtest was unusually and significantly weaker than his same age peers. Compared to
his other performances, the subtest that required Ronnie to recall strings of digits using his
working memory demonstrated a significant and unusual personal weakness (BR <= 5-10).