• amanda says: 
November 11, 2011 at 1:13 pm 
Hi Melissa,
Thank you so much for writing this article. It describes my eldest son, who was diagnosed mild-moderately dyslexic last summer. He is 8 years old – was 7 years and 8 mths when the WISC tests were done. His scores are as follows:
Verbal Comprehension (VCI) 98th centile
Perceptual Reasoning (PRI) 83rd centile
Working Memory (WMI) 75th centile
Processing Speed (PSI) 7th centile
Full Scale (FSIQ) 118.
• What I don’t understand is the good memory score – he has huge problems learning by rote – he can spell words if they are phonetic, and can retain a difficult spelling for about 30 minutes, then it disappears somewhere. He is really struggling with tables.
His word attack skills are poor but his reading comprehension is good (reading age of 10 1/2)
He is not doing well at school, and believes himself to be “dumbest in the class” – largely the result of a year of daily spelling and maths addition/subtraction tests (26 spellings including 8 irish spellings a week) that he struggled with. Also for the 3 preceding years he struggled at school.
This school year is going better as the school have his diagnosis, and have adapted for him. He now does 8 spellings a week – tested only on a Friday separately – but the worksheets to go with the spellings are very simple – they don’t challenge or engage him at all.
• He is happy but bored – and happy to drift.
Parents evening is in 2 weeks – please can you tell me where I can find out more about mind-mapping? When I google it, I get a lot of software programmes that I can buy/subscribe to but I wouldn’t know which ones to pick.
Many thanks
Amanda
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  • Melissa Mullin, Ph.D. says: 
November 18, 2011 at 2:11 am 
The reason his Working Memory Index (WMI) is higher than his memory for spelling words is related to the difference in the tasks. The WISC WMI is an auditory memory task. There are 2 subtests in this index. On the Digit Span subtest I say a group of numbers and you repeat them back in the same order, then I say the numbers and you say them in the reverse order of what I said.
  • Often children who are labeled dyslexic will do well on the number forward portion of this test and have trouble on the digit backwards section. The forward portion is rote memory: say what I said. The backward portion requires working memory: remember the numbers, and then reorganize them. The WMI is the sum of the two portions. So, it is worth checking to see if there was difference between his forward and backward portions of the Digit Span subtest.

 

• Spelling requires strong working memory, as well as strong auditory processing and visual memory (not tested on the WISC). 
You state that your son has good comprehension but weak phonics. There is a great computer program called LEXIA that can help build phonic skills. Other issues many students with reading weaknesses have are weak rapid naming and sequencing skills. There are number of assessments to measure these skills.

 

• Finally with the Processing Speed Index (PSI) you get the measure of visual discrimination and visual-motor integration. It helps to determine if there are visual discrimination issues that are affecting the visual-motor weakness. That is why I always consider a visual assessment with a doctor that believes in vision therapy when there is a very low PSI.

 

• You clearly have a bright child, I assume that you have read my other articles on processing speed issues, so you know all my advise on that. You wanted suggestions for mind mapping.

 

• Here is a great article with a video on how to make a mind map: <a href=”http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_01.htm 
Here is a site that provides a number of sample maps you can copy and use:graphic organizers

I hope this helps you and your son.
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• Slow Processing Speed…is it due to weak motor skills, weak auditory processing skills or weak executive function skills?
Posted on July 8, 2014
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  • Daniela says: 
September 23, 2014 at 1:31 pm 
Dear Melissa,
as I have now the detailed results of my son’s WISC IV test, I was hoping you might be able to shed some light and recommend some plan of action.
Verbal 134
similarities 17 vocab 16 comprehension 14
PR 139
block 13 picture concepts 19 matrix 16
WM 103
digit span 11 letter sequencing 10
PS 85
coding 6 symbols 9
  • A further intensive speech therapy course was recommended, which he completed. His writing and spelling seem to have improved although he still makes mistakes in particular if tired.
We also found somebody to help with his homework as they said it’s best if it’s not his mum helping him.
I am not sure what his finemotricy issues could be or how best to help him there.
He enjoys drawing and is very precise and good at it.
Also this year he will start writing in French at school. Does that mean that he will need speech therapy in French as well?
Thank you for any advice you might be able to give and for your helpful website.
  • Melissa Mullin, Ph.D. says: 
October 11, 2014 at 5:18 pm 
This is a very bright young man who is verbal and spatial thinker. His working memory and processing speed are significantly below is other index scores. The working memory(WM) index on the WISC is auditory working memory which is a skill needed for auditory processing. His working memory is average, so this indicates that it is fine, until we look at his verbal skills which are superior. The problem comes when he has to work with new auditory information, which will be the case learning a new language. Since his WM is average he can process the auditory information and work with it, however it will be harder than what he is used to and may lead to frustration.

 

• There is a correlation between WM weakness and executive functioning and/or attention issues. Sometimes gifted learners have absorbed information so easily when they are little they have not learned how to breakdown and work with new information that is outside their area of expertise. I hope that the homework helper you have is building executive functioning skills as they do homework. The Executive Functioning Workbook can help build the skills needed.

• Kim Sineni says: 
March 13, 2014 at 1:14 am 
My 9 year old son is having trouble in 3rd grade. We were not sure the reason ~ ADD? Dyslexia? The WISC IV was administered and these were his results:
*VCI 104 (Average)
Similarities 12 (75%ile)
Vocabulary 11 (63%ile)
Comprehension 10 (50%ile)
*PRI 86 (Low Average)
Block 7 (16%ile)
Picture Concepts 10 (50%ile)
Matrix Reasoning 6 (9%ile)
*WMI 88 (Low Average)
Digit Span 9 (37%ile)
(Arithmetic) 7 (16%ile)
*PSI 112 (High Average)
Coding 12 (75%ile)
Symbol Search (75%ile)
FSIQ 97 (Average) 
In addition, the psychologist observed him in the classroom. He said he does not have ADD, Dyslexia, etc. He has working memory issues and we’ll just need to help teach him coping strategies. I’d love your thoughts about helping him as well as your opinion as to whether or not an IEP or OHI (504) could be possible. 
I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your input~
Kim
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  • Melissa Mullin, Ph.D. says: 
October 11, 2014 at 6:02 pm 
What I notice is that his PSI is his highest score. This profile can sometimes indicate a child who is quick to respond, but may not be taking the time to think first ( an executive functioning skill). Working memory (WM), attention and executive functioning (EF) skills are often connected. It may be worth investigation this more, especially as his PRI is also low. The visual spatial task on the PRI require both WM and EF skills. You can read more in my article on metacognition, executive functioning and you can take our Executive functioning quiz
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• Renee says: 
March 26, 2012 at 1:40 am 
My son, Michael is 8 yr old and diagnosed at 3 years old with PDD/NOS. He has had private ot for years and she believes Michael has auditory processing , visual processing , low tone and he shows symptoms of dyspraxia. Michael is currently in an inclusion class with pull out to resource room for 3 subjects. His special ed teacher has said Michael still cant finish work in resource room, needs prompt to start writing tasks and believes he would do better in self contained next year. Michael exhibits anxiety due to his acedemics and we are thinking of sending him to a private school who uses orton-gillingham method and multi sensory approach to teaching.
• He recently had assessments done and they are as follows: vci 89 composite score (sum of scaled scores 24) PRI 88 (sum of scaled scores 24) WMI 80 (sum of scaled scores 13) PSI 85 (sum of scaled scores 15) FSIQ 82 (sum of scaled scores 76). All scores put him low average range. verbal comprehension subtest score summary for similarities raw score 13, scaled score 9, vocabulary raw score 18, scaled score 6, comprehension raw score 16, scaled score 9. Perceptual Reasoning subset scores; Block design raw score 18, scaled score 8, picture concept raw score 15 scaled score 10, matrix design raw score 10, scaled score 6. working memory subset: digit span raw score 10, scaled score 6, letter number sequencing raw score 10, scaled score 7. processing speed subset : coding (CD) raw score 22, scaled score 6, symbol search (ss) raw score 15, scaled score 9.
• Please help us with what would benefit Michael. He tries so hard and gets so frustrated.
Thank you,
Renee
REPLY
  • Melissa Mullin, Ph.D. says: 
March 27, 2012 at 12:01 am 
Hi Renee,
Looking at the scores you provided, I would suggest focusing on building Michael’s working memory skills.
  • Working memory is a key aspect of executive functioning. When a child has a learning issue he has to work harder and use more of his working memory capacity to process information than a typical learner. This means there is less working memory capacity left for the actual task. A typical learner has many of the basic learning skills mastered and these skills move to automaticity, which means it happens without them having to expend much focus or effort to retrieve the information.

 

• Information that has become automatic is efficient and uses very little working memory capacity. The struggling student is struggling because basic learning processes are often still effortful and require both focus and energy to achieve. Therefore this child is taxing his working memory capacity and decreasing his executive functioning abilities. Initiating tasks is an executive functioning skill, so building working memory skills will help Michael be better able to start tasks on his own.

 

• Building working memory will help Michael learn better, but finding the right educational setting will help even more. Finding a school that will give instruction at his level, with the amount of repetition he needs to master the material is a good idea. The Ortion-Gillingham system is very good.

 

• I would recommend you look closer at Michael’s learning profile and find out if he matches the profile for dyspraxia. If so, then there are more specific interventions you can investigate for him. If not, then continuing OT, along with building his visual and auditory skills, as well as his working memory and executive functioning skill will be the way to go.
Development Dyspraxia Definition
Developmental dyspraxia used when the disorder occurs in children. In adults, apraxia or dyspraxia is usually called “acquired” as it results from brain injury. It is usually congenital in children (ie they are born with the disorder). Disorders that are observed as a child is growing (or developing) are referred to as “developmental”.

 

• Children with developmental dyspraxia find it hard to learn to talk and the normal course of language development doesn’t occur as expected. The normal milestones for speech development are not reached at the expected time. They will have difficulty making any or all of the specific speech sounds, and the sounds that they are able to produce may be distorted. They find it harder than other children in learning new words and joining up words into phrases or sentences. They may or may not also have difficulty using all the oral muscles to do actions such as chewing, blowing and sucking.

 

• People with verbal dyspraxia usually understand more than they can say.
 Motor Dyspraxia Definition: involves the brain not being able to plan and execute bodily actions. For every action to occur, the brain needs to make a ‘motor program’ (plan) and carry it out (execute) using all the right muscles in just the right way. The brain either does not understand all the information it needs to plan the movement or there is a disruption to carrying it out. It is sometimes called a motor learning disability or Development Co-ordination Disorder (DCD).
Children with motor dyspraxia can seem to be clumsy, and often have difficulty sensing where their body is in space and so will have difficulty with actions such as jumping, skipping and climbing. They usually also have difficulty with find motor skills such as picking up small objects, colouring in and handwriting.
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• Rashida says: 
June 6, 2012 at 4:14 pm 
My 14 year old has 136 verbal comp. But processing speed only in the 2nd percentile. Working memory tests low, but performance is non consistently poor. IE, has no problem with telephone numbers or addresses. Suffice to say this has effected his motivation and produced extreme frustration for him and his family. We’ve done PACE, he attends an incredibly expensive private high school with experienced support staff. Is COGMED truly effective? He takes ADHD drugs, but I really believe it’s the inability to keep ideas in his head. All this contributes to tremendous anxiety. Help…..
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  • Melissa Mullin, Ph.D. says: 
June 7, 2012 at 6:51 pm 
Cogmed helps build working memory skills, and I have seen its effectiveness, so for increasing his working memory Cogmed is a good choice. Your son’s 2% processing speed score suggests that he finds visual motor tasks very challenging. Writing, copying from the board and taking a written test are all visual motor tasks. I suggest that your son get an eye examination from a developmental eye doctor and have an occupational therapy assessment. Addressing the processing speed and/or making classroom/homework accommodations is going to be important for your son’s academic success.

 

• Dana says: 
September 14, 2012 at 5:25 am 
First, let me say you are very kind to respond to each an every post. I found your site while trying to understand my 7 yo son’s results. He was diagnosed ADHD combined today. I wonder if you could help me understand the descrepancies in his scores. I’m trying to understand how to help him. I wrote down the recommendations from above where verbal and processing speed scores are spread, but am curious about working memory. His scores are:
Verbal 124
Perceptual 100 (8 s except 14 on picture concepts)
Working Memory 88
Processing Speed 78 (3 on coding and 9 symbols he didn’t finish and made careless errors)
FSIQ 100
The psychologist recommends Cogmed and seeking meds from the pediatrician. We used HWT before and liked it. I will look into Retrain the Brain.
I will look up the link to your phone consult information as well. My daughter has reading issues and dyslexia runs in her daddy’s family.
Thank you,
D
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  • Melissa Mullin, Ph.D. says: 
September 22, 2012 at 11:50 pm 
The Working Memory Index is often low in children with ADHD. I do recommend Cogmed to help build working memory skills. One way to look at this that the child with ADHD has to work harder to keep information in mind, so rather than being able to both hold and process the information, the child is working hard just to hold the information and often “loses” it before he can process it. This makes learning difficult.
  • My favorite theory of working memory is by Baddeley and Hitch (1974). They created a multicomponent model of working memory. This theory describes two “slave systems” for short-term storage of information, and a “central executive” which integrates and coordinates the slave systems. The slave systems include the phonological loop and the visuo-spatial sketchpad.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/01/Baddeley_and_Hitch%27s_Working_Memory_Model.png.
  • 
The phonological loop stores phonological information (that is, the sound of language). The visuo-spatial sketchpad, stores visual and spatial information. The important part of this is the current theories are indicating that working memory can be strengthened with mental training. That is why a program like Cogmed can be effective for people with working memory weakness. However, these same students need to learn metacognitive strategies to help them learn how to learn. Here is a link to an article I wrote about metacognitive strategies. http://bitsofwisdomforall.com/2012/02/05/metacognition-helps-build-self-regulation-and-executive-functioning-skills/
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