WISC-IV: General Ability Index (GAI) or Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) in Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)?
Yura Loscalzo, Marco Giannini, Giulia Piovi, Chiara Cellai, Valentina Cecere, Maria Rosaria Scordo
This study aims to evaluate whether psychologists using the WISC-IV (Wechsler, 2003) to assess intellective ability in children with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) should refer to the General Ability Index (GAI) or to the Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ). 50 children with a diagnosis of SLD participated: 35 with a single diagnosis of SLD and 15 with a double diagnosis. Children had higher scores on the GAI than on the FSIQ and the Cognitive Proficiency Index (CPI). Between the two groups of children, a significant difference was found only for the GAI. The results suggest that intellective evaluation in SLD is more accurate using the GAI instead of the FSIQ, with important clinical and preventive implications relevant for counseling.
Keywords
Specific Learning Disability; WISC-IV; General Ability Index; GAI; Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient.
