WISC PATTERNS AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF READING DISABLED CHILDREN

Summary.-Theoretical positions and significant factors associated with reading disability are noted. Review of WISC studies indicates that retarded readers as a group generally perform more poorly on Information, Arithmetic, Digit Span, and Coding and more highly on Picture Completion in comparison with nonretarded readers. These results are related to factorial studies of the WISC and methodological suggestions for future research are specified. One of the major problems confronting the applied child psychologist has been understanding the poor reader. While estimates of prevalence of reading disability vary considerably, it seems that no fewer than 3% and perhaps as many as 25% of the U.S. population of elementary school children have acquired reading problems (not reading up to grade level) by the completion of their sixth year (Klasen, 1972). Most of the comprehensive theories regarding reading disability argue for a single causative factor, for multiple causation, or for multiclassification based upon distinctions between types of reading disabilities. It is of interest that, while such theories differ in hypotheses about etiology, the number and type of characteristics describing the reading disabled child remain fairly constant throughout. In the literature basically six major factors have been consistently advanced as significant aspects of reading disability-lateral confusion, visual perception difficulties, auditory perception difficulties, the greater prevalence of reading disability among males, social-emotional disturbances, and general intellectual deficits. This review focused on the intellectual characteristics of reading disabled children. While lower level mental functioning frequently precludes effective reading development, research seems to indicate clearly that reading disability can and does occur at all intellectual levels (Klasen, 1972). A common research approach in the analyses of intelligence test performance of reading disabled children has been to determine whether a pattern of specific test results could be found to characterize the group. Many studies have employed the original Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) since its organization easily lends itself to such an analysis. In the present review the authors examined 21 studies involving the performance of reading disabled children on the WISC. A fairly consistent pattern of subtest results emerged. Of the 21 studies reviewed 14 noted low scores on Information, 18 showed low scores on Arithmetic, 11 reported low scores on Digit Span, and 16 studies noted low Coding scores. Ten studies reported high scores on Picture Completion. A more detailed report1 discusses the methodological difficulties of studies in this area and relates research findings to factorial studies of the WISC. This latter comparison suggests that disabled readers tend to be deficient in those verbal areas requiring the retention of knowledge impressed formally (in school) and in the immediate retention of auditorally received stimulation. Their strengths seem to be in that aspect of verbal comprehension requiring the use of practical judgment.