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I think that it depends on a) your child's age and b) what you're hearing from teachers. If he/she is a perfectionist and not completing work because he/she is spending too much time on any one item and getting stuck, then there may be an issue to explore. Alternatively, there could be a visual-motor or visual processing problem.
Have you talked to the person who did the testing about their observations? If not, do that first for sure.
What is the signifiance of a child scoring low on the Processing Speed Index?
Verbal Comprehesion 114 Above Average 82th Percentile
Preceptual Reasoning 106 Average 66th Percentile
Working Memory 104 Average 61th Percentile
Processing Speed 80 Below Average 9th Percentile
Should I be alarmed and have some further testing done?
My operating assumption is that your child was given more than just the WISC. Similarly, the tester should be giving you a report on those tests with recommendations.
There are many possible reasons for an 80 in processing speed, but nobody here can tell you which one might apply to your child. Either we are not testing specialists and therefore lack the expertise, or we are testing specialists and it would be unethical for us to do so!
So, in your situation, I would wait for the report and a meeting. If you don't get one, then you need a) more testing and b) a different tester.
Agree that you need to speak to the examiner or a learning specialist who knows your child.
The Processing Speed Index is significantly lower, and discrepancies like that often appear in bright kids who are extremely frustrated in school. Because of the frustration, often kids like this will start to believe that they are dumb, even though there is strong evidence to the contrary.
I'm not saying this is the case with your child, but that's why you need further information. It would also help to have your child demystified about her/his learning profile.
My son is 10 years old and he is a smart kid, but even before the test, I noticed that it takes him a while to process the information being given to him and he seems to get confused easily when I ask him questions especially if it's one right after another. His dad is the same way. I just wonder if I should have sme further test done to see if there is a deeper problem. Thanks for your response.
1) Given that his dad is the same way, there is a good chance that they have similar profiles.
2) Yes, I understand that you wonder about further testing, but - again - is this the only testing that was done?
If it was, then yes, you need more testing because whomever did this testing has short-changed you and your son. A WISC, while a fine tool for some things, doesn't even remotely begin to give you a whole picture.
Yes that was the only test that was done. I had it done throught UNCG. I have called and left a message for the tester so that I can ask questions. Should I contact the school or have private testing done? Not sure where to start.
If you can, set up a face-to-face "feedback session" with the tester. Then ask your questions, and inquire whether that person thinks that additional testing would be helpful. You could probably do the additional testing at UNCG as well. You should be able to get low-cost testing through the Psychology Clinic there, because graduate students would do the testing (supervised by licensed psychologists).
Is he having trouble in school? Why did you get an evaluation done outside of the school? I guess I am wondering if you have put in a referral to school because of your concerns? If you have concerns with his performance in school, you can refer him for a special education evaluation. An IQ test in and of itself does nothing to really help you understand anything about your child. A comprehensive educational evaluation tells you a lot more about your child and how they learn, etc. IF he is having problems in school with his educational performance, you should, through the special education process, have access to free evaluations through the school. I would say that if he is NOT having problems in school, there would be no reason to evaluate and he should not be getting any sort of IQ testing done anyway---numbers such as this can be dangerous when not reported in any sort of context or getting the "whole picture". That is my professional opinion, given the limited amount of info that I have about the situation. Good luck!
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