ADCP Module 3

Module III: Assessment of Achievement and Learning Disability

Wide Range Achievement Test, V Edition-India (WRAT 5 – INDIA)

Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT),

NIMHANS Specific Learning Disability Index

WRAT

Background to the WRAT

● The Wide Range Achievement Test was first published in 1946.

● It was originally developed by the psychologist Joseph Jastak to provide information on

aspects of word recognition, spelling and arithmetic which would complement

measures of cognitive ability being developed by David Wechsler at that time.

● There have been several revisions, including the WRAT-R, the Wide Range

Achievement Test-Revised (1984) and the WRAT3, or Wide Range Achievement Test:

Third Edition (1993).

● Its measures, combined with the Wechsler scales, aimed to provide a broader picture

of cognitive abilities.

● Jastak felt that no complete assessment of academic performance could be carried out

without measuring both functions.

● Several new features have been added to the WRAT4.

● In addition to updated norms, the WRAT4 contains an entirely new measure of reading

achievement—Sentence Comprehension—added to enhance the scope of the content

 measured and to meet a need often expressed by users of previous editions for a measure

of reading comprehension.

● The interpretation of WRAT4 scores has been enhanced by the addition of grade-based

norms, thereby increasing the usefulness of the test in Grades K-12. The age-based

norms also have been extended from 75 years in the third edition to 94 years so that the

basic literacy skills of older adults can be assessed.

● Whilst the WRAT4 can be used as part of more comprehensive batteries to assess

cognitive abilities, used alone it can still provide a straightforward and accurate screen

measuring the skills of learning. Importantly, the addition of a sentence comprehension

measure in this version gives a clearer measure of understanding beyond the ability to

decode words.

Description of the WRAT4

● The WRAT4 is a norm-referenced test that measures the basic academic skills of word

reading, sentence comprehension, spelling, and math computation.

● It was standardized on a representative national sample of over 3,000 individuals ranging

in age from 5 to 94 years.

● The normative sample was selected according to a stratified national sampling procedure

with proportionate allocation controlled for age, gender, ethnicity, geographic region, and

parental/obtained education as an index of socioeconomic status.

● Alternate forms, designated the Blue Form and the Green Form, were developed and

equated during standardization by use of a common-person research design.

 ● Derived scores were developed for both age- and grade-referenced groups. Standard

scores, percentile ranks, stanines, normal curve equivalents, grade equivalents, and Rasch

ability scaled scores are provided.

● The Blue Form and the Green Form can be used interchangeably with comparable

results, permitting retesting within short periods of time without the potential practice

effects that may occur from repeating the same items.

● The alternate forms also can be administered together (i.e., Combined Form) in a single

examination.

● For those interested in a more qualitative assessment of academic skills, the

Combined Form provides an additional opportunity for performance observance.

Subtests

The WRAT4 includes four subtests:

1. The Word Reading subtest measures letter and word decoding. It is made up of two

components:

a. Letter Reading, which is made up of 15 letters, and

b. Word Reading, made up of 55 words, are presented without a context (ie, the

words are read in isolation rather than in a sentence), which the participant is

required to recognise and pronounce aloud. If an individual does not read a word

after 10 seconds they are encouraged to try the next word.

2. The Sentence Comprehension subtest measures the ability to comprehend ideas and

information contained in a sentence through the use of a cloze technique (eg, John had a

headache so he took an _______.)

 a. It comprises 50 questions, of increasing difficulty, with different starting points

(A- F).

b. The participant is asked to read through a sentence to him or herself silently, then

to verbally provide a word or words (eg, phrasal verbs such as ‘get out’ convey

the same meaning as ‘exit’) to complete the meaning.

c. A participant’s score on the Word Reading subtest establishes the starting point

on the Sentence Comprehension subtest.

d. The Sentence Comprehension subtest does not include preliminary items.

However, five consecutive items must be answered correctly at any starting point

in this subtest, or the participant will be tested ‘backwards’ (in reverse order) until

five consecutive correct answers are achieved.

3. The Spelling subtest measures the ability to encode dictated words into a written format.

This has two components.

a. First, the participant is asked to spell his or her name, along with 13 preliminary

letters.

b. This is then followed by the dictation of up to 42 words of increasing difficulty.

Participants are allowed 5 seconds to write each letter and 15 seconds to spell

each word.

4. The Arithmetic subtest involves counting, number and symbol recognition, solving oral

problems, and performing written computations.

a. The participant is given 15 minutes to complete the Arithmetic subtest.

● The recommended order of testing is Word Reading, Sentence Comprehension, Spelling,

and Math Computation. This is the order in which the subtests were administered during
 standardization; however, the subtests may be administered in any order, with one

exception:

● The Word Reading subtest should be administered before the Sentence Comprehension

subtest because an individual's scores on Part 2 of the Word Reading subtest can be used

as a routing test to determine the appropriate starting item on Sentence Comprehension,

thereby shortening the time required. In addition, the Word Reading score also

determines whether or not the Sentence Comprehension subtest should be administered at

all.

Administration Time

This will depend on the age and skill level of the participant, and number of subtests undertaken.

For all four subtests, average administration time is estimated at 15-25 minutes for participants

from 5-7 years of age, and 30-45 minutes for older participants.

Uses of WRAT4

The WRAT4 is intended for use by those professionals who need a quick, simple,

psychometrically sound assessment of important fundamental academic skills. Such measures

are valuable in initial evaluations or individuals referred for learning, behavioural, or vocational

difficulties. The results of the WRAT4 by themselves are not intended to provide formal

identification of learning or cognitive disorders. Use of the WRAT4 results together with a

broad array of comprehensive information such as additional assessment and psychometric data,

background history, behavioural observations, and results of more formal assessments of

behavioural functioning will assist in the identification and diagnosis of such disorders.

The ease of administration and the simplicity of the WRAT4 make it useful for assessment

professionals, who can use the results to:

 1. Collect initial data for psychological, educational, and vocational assessments;

2. Conduct time-efficient small group administration in selected math and spelling areas

to identify individuals requiring a more comprehensive academic evaluation;

3. Assess, in conjunction with the WRAT–Expanded, a broader range of academic skills

useful in the diagnosis of specific learning disorders

4. Re-evaluate individuals diagnosed with learning and/or cognitive disorders;

5. Contribute to research projects needing assessment of basic academic skills for

pretesting and post testing purposes;

6. Evaluate achievement-ability discrepancies to identify specific learning disabilities;

7. Assess specific academic skills as part of a more comprehensive study of psychological

and neuropsychological functioning;

8. Determine a minimal level of proficiency needed to perform in certain educational and/or

vocational settings; and

9. Assess an individual's academic progress over time.

● Also, standard scores can be used for comparison with other tests, eg, WAIS-III, WASI,

to consider discrepancies in reading/spelling. They can be used to highlight discrepancies

between each of the subtests contained in the WRAT4. It has good internal reliability

measures: .87 - .93 for the subtests; .95 - .98 for the Reading Composite.

● The user can make choices in the content of the test (Blue or Green) and in administration

of the form (Separate or Combined).

● The inclusion of the Sentence Comprehension subtest allows the measurement of an extra

dimension to reading whilst the Word Reading section can directly assess the skills
 required in reading, (i.e., decoding sounds, making sound/symbol relationships and sight

recognition separate to comprehension).

Wide Range Achievement Test, Fifth Edition-India (WRAT 5 – INDIA)

● Pearson (2019)

● Age range: 6 to 19.11 years

● Measures reading, spelling, math skills

● 10–25 minutes for ages 6–7 and

● 30–40 minutes for ages 8 and up

● Grade-based start points and ceiling rules

● Reading Composite Score: Word Reading + Sentence Comprehension

● 4 Tests (Can be used individually)

1. Word Reading - untimed letter identification and word reading

2. Sentence Comprehension - the ability to identify the meaning of words and comprehend the

ideas and information in a sentence using a modified cloze procedure

3. Spelling - the ability to write letters and words from dictation

4. Math Computation - the ability to count, identify numbers, solve simple oral math problems,

and do timed calculation of written math problems

NIMHANS SLD

Page no. 80 in manual

Introduction

● The NIMHANS index of specific learning disability was developed in the department

of clinical psychology, NIMHANS Bangalore.

● It was first developed by Kapur et al. (1991) to screen children with SLD.
 ● The NIMHANS Index for specific learning disability consists of tests of reading,

writing, spelling, and arithmetic abilities to identify children with disabilities in these

areas (John et al., 2020).

● The NIMHANS index of SLD comprises tests on attention, language, arithmetic,

visual- motor skills and memory.

● It consists of two levels.

○ level 1 for children aged 5 to 7 years and

○ level 2 for children aged 8 to 12 years (John et al., 2020).

● This tool is used in several studies to compare the psychosocial characteristics of

children having SLD and normal children.

● It has also been used for the assessment of improvement after remediation.

● The NIMHANS Index of learning disability has high test- retest reliability and

criterion validity (John et al., 2020).

Administration and Scoring

Reading, Writing, and Spelling and Comprehension

● If the child’s performance on any of the academic skills is more than two

standards below the standard he is studying in currently, it indicates presence of

learning disability. ( 2+ = learning disability)

● If the child’s performance is just one standard or two below, it indicates a learning

‘difficulty’ (John et al., 2020) (1 or 2 = Learning Difficulty)

● The reading skill score was evaluated through 3 stages:

(a) Successful level of completion,

(b) Number of errors committed and

 (c) Time taken for completing the level.

● As per the test procedures, 3 min are allotted to complete reading and up to 5 errors are

permitted in each level.

● If a student reads the passage within 3 min and has only up to a maximum of 5 errors,

they are considered to have successfully completed the level and allowed to read for the

next level. For each completed level, a score of 10 was given and half score was

deducted for each error committed above the permitted level of 5. An additional

reduction of 1 score for every additional minute taken over the permitted time of 3

min in the last level was also included.

● High score indicates better reading (John et al., 2020)

● There is no single screening and diagnostic tool that may be considered specific for the

diagnosis of SLD.

● The NIMHANS index for SLD was developed in 1991 in the Department of Clinical

Psychology, NIMHANS, Bangalore.

● The NIMHANS index for SLD is a curriculum-based assessment that can be used to

confirm the diagnosis of SLD.

● It includes tests of reading, writing, spelling, and arithmetic abilities to detect children

with disabilities in these areas.

● There are norms for children in Standards I to V.

● This battery can be used not only for confirming an initial diagnosis of SLD but also for

certification of SLD in India.

● The Gazette of India (No. 61, dated January 6, 2018) states that the NIMHANS-SLD

index shall be used to diagnose SLD in children.

 ● However, the different types of SLDs cannot be picked up using this battery.

● Besides, since the tool is in English and India is a multilingual country, professionals find

it challenging to assess SLD in a child’s mother tongue.

Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)

What is the WIAT?

● The WIAT Test (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test) is an individually administered

achievement test that takes about 30 to 90 minutes.

● Specifically the WIAT is used to measure the strengths and weaknesses of your child,

so that the school may determine need for special support or notice stand-out skills in

specific areas for gifted and talented programs, especially for children who are twice

exceptional (refers to intellectually gifted children who have some form of disability).

● It is used for ages 4 years and up.

● There are 16 subtests to measure the 8 areas of achievement specified by US federal

legislation (IDEA) to identify and classify learning disabilities.

● These include language, reading, written expressions, and mathematics.

● The detailed breakdown of how each of the 16 subtests make up the 8 different scores can

be seen in the image below.

Here is a list of the subtests found on the WIAT-III test:

● Listening Comprehension – This subtest assesses an individual’s ability to understand

spoken language, including understanding relationships, inferential reasoning, and

comprehension of explicit and implicit information. It involves listening to stories or

sentences and answering questions or explaining situations accordingly. This test is

particularly useful for identifying issues in auditory processing or language

comprehension.

● Oral Expression – The Oral Expression subtest measures an individual’s ability to

express ideas, thoughts, and feelings effectively using spoken language. It involves tasks

such as creating sentences, telling a story, and explaining the relationships between items.

It helps to identify potential difficulties in verbal communication or language disorders.

● Early Reading Skills – This test gauges foundational reading skills such as phonological

awareness, letter-sound correspondence, and basic sight word recognition. It’s designed

primarily for young children or individuals beginning to learn to read. Poor performance

can highlight struggles with the building blocks of reading.

● Word Reading – This subtest assesses an individual’s ability to accurately read and

pronounce individual words presented in isolation. It’s used to measure single-word

decoding skills, crucial in the development of fluent reading. Difficulty with this test

could suggest dyslexia or other reading-related issues.

● Pseudo word Decoding – The Pseudo Word Decoding test measures the ability to apply

phonetic decoding skills to pronounce nonsense words. This subtest is not reliant on

vocabulary knowledge and purely tests phonetic decoding ability, often utilized in

assessing dyslexia or specific learning disorders in reading.

● Reading Comprehension – This subtest evaluates an individual’s capacity to understand

and interpret written passages, including identifying main ideas, details, sequences, and

drawing inferences. It measures the higher-order skills necessary for effective reading.

Challenges here may indicate comprehension difficulties or broader reading disorders.

● Oral Reading Fluency – This subtest involves reading passages aloud under time

constraints, assessing accuracy, speed, and proper expression. It serves to identify issues

with fluent reading, which can interfere with reading comprehension. Struggles may

suggest reading disorders or problems with working memory.

● Alphabet Writing Fluency, Spelling – This test measures the ability to write alphabet

letters and spell words quickly and accurately. It’s used to identify potential issues in the
 basic writing and spelling skills, necessary for further writing development. Difficulties

may point to dysgraphia or learning disorders in written expression.

● Sentence Composition – In this subtest, individuals are asked to combine and construct

sentences, evaluating their syntactic and grammatical skills. It assesses the capacity to

create and organize sentences, which are crucial for effective written communication.

Challenges can suggest specific learning disorders in writing or language-based learning

disabilities.

● Essay Composition – This test assesses an individual’s ability to plan and write an essay,

evaluating organization, theme development, and syntactic maturity. It helps to identify

potential difficulties in writing longer, cohesive pieces. Poor performance might indicate

issues with expressive writing, planning, or organizing thoughts coherently.

● Math Problem Solving – This subtest evaluates the ability to use reasoning and

problem-solving skills to solve real-world mathematical problems. It assesses

comprehension of mathematical language and concepts and the ability to apply them

appropriately. Difficulty in this area can indicate a specific learning disorder in

mathematics or broader problems with numerical reasoning.

● Numerical Operations – This test measures an individual’s ability to perform number-

based operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, both with

and without the help of a calculator. It helps to identify potential difficulties in basic

mathematical computation. Difficulties here may suggest dyscalculia or other math-

related learning disorders.

● Math Fluency – Addition – This subtest evaluates an individual’s ability to solve single-

digit addition problems quickly and accurately. It is performed under timed conditions,
 requiring the individual to complete as many problems as possible in a given time frame.

This test helps identify difficulties related to basic numerical operations and mental

calculation speed, which could suggest dyscalculia or other math-related learning

disorders.

● Math Fluency – Subtraction – Similar to the Addition subtest, this test measures an

individual’s speed and accuracy in solving single-digit subtraction problems under timed

conditions. The individual is required to complete as many subtraction problems as

possible within a set time limit. Difficulty in this subtest can indicate struggles with basic

numerical operations and mental calculation speed, possibly suggesting dyscalculia or

other learning disorders in math.

● Math Fluency – Multiplication – This subtest assesses an individual’s ability to solve

single-digit multiplication problems accurately and swiftly. The individual must attempt

to solve as many multiplication problems as they can within a given time frame. Poor

performance on this test may suggest difficulties with multiplication fact retrieval and

mental calculation speed, which could be indicative of dyscalculia or other math-related

learning disorders.

Here is a list of the composites found on the WIAT-III test:

Oral Language – This composite score is derived from the Listening Comprehension and Oral

Expression subtests, evaluating an individual’s overall oral language skills. It reflects the ability

to understand and express ideas, thoughts, and feelings using spoken language. It’s a critical

measure for identifying potential language disorders or difficulties in verbal communication.

Total Reading – This composite score is based on the Word Reading, Reading Comprehension,

and Pseudo word Decoding subtests, providing a comprehensive measure of an individual’s

reading skills. It covers various reading components, including decoding, fluency, and

comprehension, and can identify potential reading difficulties or disorders like dyslexia.

Basic Reading – This composite score is derived from the Word Reading and Pseudo word

Decoding subtests, assessing an individual’s fundamental reading skills such as decoding and

word recognition. It primarily evaluates the ability to recognize and pronounce words correctly,

which is essential for reading fluency and comprehension. Poor scores may indicate reading-

related disorders such as dyslexia.

Reading Comprehension – This composite score is calculated from the Reading

Comprehension and Oral Reading Fluency subtests. It evaluates an individual’s ability to

understand and interpret written passages and read them aloud fluently. It’s an essential measure

for identifying potential difficulties in reading comprehension and oral reading fluency.

Fluency – The Fluency composite is derived from the Oral Reading Fluency and Math Fluency

subtests. It assesses an individual’s speed and accuracy in reading aloud and solving math

problems. Poor scores can indicate difficulties in reading fluency or basic math operations.

Written Expression – This composite score is based on the Spelling, Sentence Composition,

and Essay Composition subtests, providing a comprehensive measure of an individual’s writing

skills. It covers various components of writing, including spelling, syntax, grammar, and

composition. It’s a critical measure for identifying potential writing disorders or difficulties in

written communication.

Mathematics – This composite score is derived from the Math Problem Solving, Numerical

Operations, and Math Fluency subtests, providing an overall measure of an individual’s math

skills. It covers a range of math abilities, including basic computations, problem-solving, and

math fluency. Poor scores may indicate math-related disorders such as dyscalculia.
Math Fluency – This composite score is calculated from the Math Fluency – Addition,

Subtraction, and Multiplication subtests. It evaluates an individual’s speed and accuracy in

performing basic math computations. Difficulty in this area can indicate struggles with math

fluency, possibly suggesting dyscalculia or other math-related learning disorders.

Total Achievement -This composite score is based on all the subtests, providing a broad measure

of an individual’s academic skills across reading, writing, and mathematics. It’s a comprehensive

measure of a person’s overall academic achievement and can help identify potential learning

difficulties across multiple academic areas.

*Pseudo word decoding is reading a variety of nonsense words, where the your child must apply

his or her phonetic knowledge to sound out unfamiliar words. This subtest is a good indication of

reading problems such as dyslexia.