What is an Assessment

An educational report, assesses learning potential through a variety of verbal and non-verbal problem-solving tasks, known collectively as I.Q.

This is then compared to attainment levels in literacy and numeracy and any discrepancy accounted for by inadequate sensory processing, short-term memory deficits or other physical/emotional problems. The current consensus of opinion is that is the slow processing of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic information that is the ultimate causation of the phonological, visual and motor difficulties behind all specific learning difficulties.

Ref; Witton C. Talcott, Hansen, Richardson, Griffiths, Rees, Stein & Green "Sensitivity to dynamic auditory & visual stimuli predicts nonword reading ability in both Dyslexic and normal readers" (1998) Current Biology, 8:791-797

Psychometrics test used

Weschler Intelligence Test 111, U.K

Children and Adult version (alternatives; British Ability Scales, Kauffman Intelligence Test)

Weschler Memory Scale

Children and Adult version (also British Ability scales)

Weschler literacy and numeracy attainment tests

Children

Wide Range Achievement Tests

literacy/numeracy Children/Adult

Additional perceptual and motor tests used if necessary;

Audiogram, speech sound perception (the Scan test), phonological awareness battery, scotopic sensitivity, visual tracking and accommodation tests, ABC motor battery.

Attention Test;

TOVA (test of attentional variables), Kaufman executive function, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Scales, parental and teacher view questionnaires.

Personality and Social Skills;

measures and structured interview scales for autistic spectrum disorders.

Post traumatic stress disorder;

questionnaires assessing early emotional, physical or sexual trauma.

What can an intelligence test tell?

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale - 111, U.K. is a widely used, internationally normed test which has good correlates to later academic success and certain types of occupational competence, but not other important aspects of cognition such as imagination, interpersonal skills, motor ability such as necessary in sports, games and general body co-ordination or musical ability, creativity or emotional maturity. It is of particular value in specific learning difficulties since it is given without any reading or writing necessary on the part of the child and other research has developed literacy and numeracy norms so that these can be compared against I.Q. Therefore learning difficulties can be diagnosed from the discrepancy between the reading /calculation level predicted on the basis of I.Q. and the observed level, together with known deficits to explain the gap, such as weak sequencing or lack of phonological awareness.

Perception

Both auditory and visual perceptual problems can be implicated in specific learning difficulies. Perception refers to the interpretation by the brain of information from the senses. When this is mistimed or misequenced the child cannot develop sufficiently fast registration of auditory and visual information for reading and listening.

At the auditory level some speech sounds may be perceived more easily than others and this can distort the whole word. This is associated with a small delay, (in milliseconds) in the perception of speech sounds. Thus registration of speech is slightly slower, there is a time lag, the individual needs repetition and finds lists/instructions etc difficult to listen to, (these are not connected by meaning so are difficult to hold in mind if there is any auditory perception problem). Background noises tend to be distracting and often the individual develops a habit of not listening since the effort of doing so is too tiring. This affects the ability to pay attention. Sometimes sound therapy evens the hearing curve.

At the visual level the most common perceptual problem is a cellular deficiency in the magnocellular (or transient) visual pathway. Some symptoms are losing lines of text, sore eyes and pattern glare causing perceptual distortions of text, such as rereading, missing lines - all characteristic of Specific learning difficulties. Text to background discrimination can be improved with the provision of a spectrum-specific inhibiting overlay or lenses, monocular occlusion, tracking and magnifying devices or visual exercises.

Dr Beverley Steffert

Chartered Psychologist, British Psychological Society

Beverley Steffert is a consulting psychologist for The Dyslexia Institute and also lectures at London University in Brain/behaviour relationships.

She has had some 15 years experience in assessing and treating specific and general learning difficulties, attention deficit and autistic spectrum disorders. Report are prepared for schools, universities and the workplace.

She has written many articles and appeared on radio and t.v. discussing problems in learning, as well as giving expert evidence at tribunals and in court-cases.

She has pioneered neurofeedback (a computerised brainwave treatment for learning problems) in this country and also uses Quantitative eeg for neurological assessments.

At the Learning recovery centre books, programmes and other remedial material is on display.