Large discrepancies in Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

OP again; no worries about hijacking the thread. I'm very interested in what everyone has to say.

I guess looking at what each of the subcategories mean, I've largely experienced my discrepancies as being able to express myself well through writing but struggling to keep up in other aspects of performance. Going into tests I often feel that I know all the information but struggle to sort it out into what is and isn't important and get results that aren't indicative of the time I put into the material. I have a particularly hard time with specific details like dates and fields where I have to apply my knowledge (great at algebra because there's a procedure to follow, awful at geometry because proofs require application).

As for the point about reading, yes, I'd consider myself well read. However, I also gravitated toward reading early on because it came easily for me; I had large delays in other developmental areas such as speech. So I wouldn't be inclined to say that the differences are due to my reading but that my reading habits might have largely developed in response to my differences.

This should be moved, it's not related to psychotherapy.

I was wondering myself when a mod would move it.

Arent these tests administered by your therapist?

In my case, t was a mft in training. She referred me to a psychologist.

Oh, I see your point. But by that reasoning a lot of things in other categories could be put here.

Therapists usually refer you to someone who does cognitive assessments, if that's seen as important in shaping how your psychotherapy is to be done, then use the results, the way they would use results of medical tests.

A social worker isn't trained to do this even if she wanted to. Same with a psychoanalyst. Psychiatrist don't usually do this either. Psychologist can and some do, though many who work as regular therapists don't do this either. In other words, if the psychologist works in a cognitive rehab facility or something, then he might do this regularly but if you go to go to the average therapist to help you with depression or anxiety or PTSD, it's quite unlikely that they themselves would administer a WAIS to you.

Everything here in all subforums is related in some ways, given that it's a psych forum, but this thread is not particularly relevant to the psychotherapy subforum. Then again I've seen other irrelevant threads take forever to be moved elsewhere.

OP here; my apologies if this is in the wrong place. I just happened to be googling my results and found an older post in Psychotherapy.

I'm very interested in what everyone has to say. I guess I'd say I've experienced my differences in ability as often feeling like I struggle to demonstrate the extent of my knowledge. In school I was great at algebra because the end goal was just simplification and awful at geometry because I couldn't extrapolate steps on my own and write a proof. I can study a subject for hours and know the material, but my application of it doesn't seem to speak to the extent I understand it.

As to the point about reading, I would consider myself well-read, but I'd put forward the idea that my habits developed because it came so easily to me from an early age compared to other things.

Oh, my
I was off in dazed and confused land for a few days. Let me look.

So, I have not read beyond the first page of answers in this thread. But, something to keep in mind is that the OP'S scores do show a discrepancy of more than two standard deviations ( one standard deviation is 15points), which either makes her gifted verbally or suggests the presence of a nonverbal leaning disability. Two standard deviations above average (100)=gifted. But a discrepancy that large does suggest a learning disability, which is not the same as a developmental disability. Learning disability diagnosis is based on discrepancies. Developmental disability diagnosis is based upon actual IQ scores.

Most psychologists consider more factors than just discrepancies especially if scores are within high average average range. She wouldn't qualify for a disability with these scores. More likely gifted. I do this for a living so I am not just talking

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I asked my t about this today. He has an Ed.D., so this is in his wheelhouse. He said the large discrepancy thing IS indicative of a nonverbal learning disability. He was very insistent on this point. He further said this issue DOES belong in this forum because, among other things, it affects how you think, how you think of yourself, your self-esteem, etc. FWIW.

Who gave you this test? I am a grad psych student and have taken a class in testing. The only person who can interpret the results is the person who have it to you or another psychologist with expertise in testing. From what I know the different numbers show that you have strengths and weaknesses (like everyone else). The higher category is your stronger one, the lower your weaker. I would want to know why you took the test and what you are hoping to find in the results. I'm surprised you got the numbers without any explanation- that doesn't make any sense. So you have a follow up appointment to find out what to do with these results? We can give you our best guesses, but the only person who can really interpret your results is a doctorate level psychologist who specializes in IQ testing.

I have to edit this to just reiterate that any opinions here are just that- guesses. Because someone with similar score distributions was diagnosed with a NVL does not mean the same for you at all. These tests are often given by psychologists who have limited training in the scoring of these tests and misinterpret the results. Please get an appointment with someone who knows what they are doing as this stuff is very sensitive and complicated.

You are absolutely correct.

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I recommend not putting faith into any test where the client does not get the key and the only one deemed able to grade it is the person who gave it to you.

The client never gets the keys to tests like this since it is difficult to decipher and could be misinterpreted. PhDs take classes in testing alone to learn how to score them properly. The wording is not meant for anyone other then the test administrator as it is basically categorizing people for the purpose of making comparisons and identifying strengths, weaknesses and flagging a possible learning disability. For the layperson to try to interpret it would do more harm than good.

Discrepancy alone is never enough for diagnosing nvld.

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I am not sure why clients don't get a key? Makes no sense. We always provide not only copy of everything but detailed analysis and explanation of every area or both iq and academic testing to our students and parents. Why can't a client get an explanation? Don't get it

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What I don't understand is why didn't client ask for an explanation

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If the psychologist administered the test and the discrepancy indicated a learning disability, then shouldn't he be required to diagnose the client and provide documentation? Especially if the client is being tested in order to know if there is a problem prior to beginning college? I know when I did my testing, the psychologist handed me paperwork explaining my learning disability LDNOS (learning disability not otherwise specified), informed me that I would now qualify for 50% extra time on in-class exams, and explained to me which areas of my testing demonstrated that I had a learning disability and what symptoms I might be experiencing. I know that the discrepancy was part of the reason my diagnosis (I was over 140 in all but one category which was really, really low), but it was also based on other things (like scoring 100% on all questions I answered, but not finishing the section in the allotted time) and trouble with spatial perception. I can't imagine a competent psychologist doing all of that testing, finding a learning disability, and not informing the client of that finding. Can you call the psychologist and ask if he gave you a diagnosis?

I doubt there is anything to diagnose as discrepancy alone isn't enough for diagnosis and scores of 114, 111 and 107 aren't indicative of disability.
But I agree it is weird no one explained anything to her

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I'm sorry I misunderstood "key" to mean the tool test givers use in scoring the test. Results, detailed explanations and recommendations, should and usually are a part of the process. If the OP does not have this information they should be requesting it.

A full neuropsych exam would be better used to diagnose a learning disability. The test the OP refers to is an IQ test, and IQ tests don't diagnose. They can be used as a tool to identify areas where there is a deficit or a strength, but not a disability. If someone uses this test to do so they are using it incorrectly. I'm wonderjng if it was given with other tests to come up a more comprehensive results.

Yes agree

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The results could possibly be indicitive but that only means further testing is needed. This test does not diagnose anything and can only be done by a trained Psychologist (phd) with a specialty in testing. Other people might give them but they are not supposed to and their findings would not be accepted by schools, government agencies like social security and the like.