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PubMed2001

Testing Stereotype Threat: Does Anxiety Explain Race and Sex Differences in Achievement?

Steele's (1992, 1997) stereotype-threat theory attempts to explain underperformance of minority students in academic domains and of women in mathematics. Steele argues that situational self-relevance of negative group stereotypes in testing situations increases the anxiety these students experience and that these differential anxiety levels explain performance differences. Research shows that manipulation of stereotype threat can affect academic performance. However, there has been little research testing whether anxiety does at least partially explain the relationship between race and achievement. The goal of this study was to examine whether anxiety will explain racial differences in academic performance and gender differences in math performance in the context of a nationally representative sample of high school seniors. Partial mediation was observed, with anxiety explaining significant portions of the racial differences in academic performance. Anxiety also partially explained sex differences in math achievement, although the effect sizes were very small. These results provide general support for Steele's stereotype-threat hypothesis. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1994

Prediction of school outcomes based on early language production and socioeconomic factors.

Early differences in family SES, child language production, and IQ were related to outcomes in early elementary school in the present prospective, 10-year longitudinal study. In a prior study of family interactional variables associated with language learning, major differences in parenting (i.e., time, attention, and talking) were found to be associated with differences in child productive vocabulary between 7 to 36 months of age, and child IQ, favoring higher-SES parents. Lower-SES children were exposed less often than higher-SES children to diverse vocabulary through their parents' attention and talking, and they were prohibited from talking more often. In the current study, 32 children involved in the earlier study were repeatedly assessed between 5 to 10 years of age, while in kindergarten through third grade. Results indicated that SES-related differences in child language prior to school were predictive of subsequent verbal ability, receptive and spoken language, and academic achievement assessed on standardized tests in kindergarten through grade 3. However, none of the predictor variables were related to direct measures of elementary schooling. When combined with a composite SES indicator, early child language production significantly increased the variance accounted for in the prediction of elementary language and academic competencies in each subsequent year in elementary school. Implications are discussed in terms of the stability of performance on language and academic performance measures of children who entered school with different early language learning experiences, and the need to consider early home- and school-based intervention designed to prevent or ameliorate these trends.

Child↗
PubMed2001

Neuropsychological function in Tourette syndrome.

The accumulated body of scientific evidence regarding intellectual function, presence of learning disorders, and specific neuropsychological deficits in TS suggests that difficulties in these areas are present in a significant percentage of patients with TS. Despite the numerous methodological shortcomings of past neuropsychological studies of TS, relatively robust and consistent findings have emerged. The literature to date has suggested that intellectual ability is normally distributed in TS. Whether or not individuals with TS have significant discrepancies between their verbal and nonverbal abilities remains unclear. The prevalence of learning disabilities in TS has been reported to be similar to the base rates reported for the general population, although there is evidence to suggest that the prevalence of LDs in children with TS may actually be lower and specific for difficulties in math and written language. Specific cognitive deficits in TS consist of visuomotor integration problems, impaired fine motor skill, and executive dysfunction. The presence of comorbid conditions, notably ADHD and OCD, appears to significantly increase the likelihood that an individual with TS will also have learning problems or some demonstrable cognitive impairment. The presence of a learning disability, specific academic deficiency, or cognitive deficit may pose a greater obstacle for persons with TS than the tic disorder itself. This is particularly salient for children with TS, who may be at a higher risk for poor school performance and academic failure. The psychosocial impact of these problems is also far-reaching. Given the recent emphasis on the early detection of academic and learning problems, it would seem prudent that children with TS who are suspected of having neuropsychological difficulties be evaluated as soon as possible. There are numerous educational interventions and accommodations available to children with LDs and/or specific academic weaknesses that can work equally well in children with TS. The available body of scientific evidence suggests that persons with TS have normally distributed intellectual ability. This would suggest a diminished role for routine IQ testing unless there is compelling clinical evidence to suggest that the IQ score be obtained, such as when the individual is suspected of having an LD. Given that children with TS may be particularly at risk for learning disabilities or academic deficiencies in math and written language, a complete psychoeducational workup should be conducted on any child with TS who is suspected of having such difficulties. This evaluation should be conducted as early as possible, so that educational interventions can be implemented. Traditionally, the psychoeducational evaluation is performed by the school psychologist and should include standardized IQ assessment and academic achievement testing that can objectively identify and quantify the nature and severity of the learning problem. Once the problem has been documented, the school psychologist should recommend appropriate educational and remedial interventions. In addition to psychoeducational testing, neuropsychological testing is indicated to identify specific cognitive deficits that might be present in children with TS, notably problems with visuomotor integration, motor skill, and executive function. The psychoeducational evaluation performed by the school psychologist typically does not assess these cognitive functions. Therefore, referral for neuropsychological testing is indicated if there is a strong clinical suspicion of cognitive deficits. The accumulated neuropsychological literature in TS suggests that a broad-based, comprehensive, and lengthy neuropsychological examination is not necessary, however. At a minimum, the neuropsychological test battery should include assessment of visuomotor integration ability, motor skills, spatial/perceptual abilities, and executive function. This type of assessment would take less time to complete and has greater sensitivity and specificity for identifying neurocognitive deficits that are believed to be unique to TS. Neuropsychological functioning continues to be an important component in understanding the full neurobehavioral spectrum of TS. At present, there is great opportunity to explore neuropsychological functioning in TS with newly emerging technology such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and related techniques that assess cortical metabolic activity, as well as newer electrophysiological techniques. This technology, notably fMRI, allows investigation of neuropsychological functioning in vivo and may reveal important clues to the neuroanatomic substrates of neuropsychological impairment of learning disabilities in TS.

Cognition Disorders↗
PubMed2001

Radiology resident experience in a community-based residency program.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The authors performed this study to examine the educational experience of radiology residents by evaluating exposure to total number and variety of examinations. They examined this exposure in relation to current concepts of resident education regarding exposure to difference radiologic examinations, preparation for private practice, and 4th-year resident experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The number of examinations performed by radiology residents and the number classified as general versus cross-sectional radiology were analyzed by calculating the average number of studies performed per academic year during the past 6 years. RESULTS: In general, there was in increase in the total number of examinations performed per resident during the past 6 years. There was no statistically significant difference in the experience with general versus cross-sectional radiologic examinations. The data support the contention that 4th-year residents perform fewer examinations. CONCLUSION: Experience with all radiologic examinations is increasing as the overall utilization of radiology services increases. Fourth-year residents read fewer images; further studies are necessary to determine whether this finding reflects a planned decrease in workload or an increase in the complexity of the workload. It may be necessary to establish a minimum number and mixture of examinations to prepare residents for private practice.

Community Health Services↗
PubMed2001

Stereotype distinctiveness: how counterstereotypic behavior shapes the self-concept.

Three experiments examined the relationship between distinctiveness and self-schematicity. Experiment 1 revealed that people were more likely to be self-schematic in domains of strong performance when they felt distinct from family and peers in those domains. Experiments 2 and 3 extended this finding into the arena of stereotypes by demonstrating that people were more likely to be self-schematic in domains of strong performance when their performance was counterstereotypic rather than stereotypic. In particular, African Americans and women were more likely to be schematic for intelligence than Caucasians and men if they performed well academically, whereas Caucasians-especially men-were more likely than African Americans to be schematic for athletics if they performed well athletically. These results suggest that counterstereotypic behavior plays a uniquely powerful role in the development of the self-concept.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

[Teaching laparoscopic urologic oncology. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center experience].

OBJECTIVE: We outline the structure of the clinical and training program of laparoscopic urologic oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. We discuss the steps and key elements necessary in acquiring lapa roscopic proficiency. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The program lasts 2 years and trains fellows and faculty. For fellows, the program consists of a 6 months high volume laparoscopic oncology rotation, during which dry lab, animal lab, vide review and operating room experience are required. For faculty, the program consists of 1 accredited continuin medical education course, 20 hours of dry lab, 1 session animal lab, observation of laparoscopic cases, first assistant in a minimum of 15 laparoscopic cases, performing laparoscopic cases under mentoring. RESULTS: 8 fellows have completed the training, 4 of whom have completed their fellowship and are in academic centers, performing advanced laparoscopy. The laparoscopic approach represents on average 80% of their urologic practice. Three attendings are performing laparoscopic surgery with mentoring. CONCLUSION: The goals of a surgical education program should be the standardization of the acquisition o surgical skills and assessment of the performance in a uniform setting to ensure the maintenance of the acquisition of skills and to develop programs to teach new skills.

Humans↗
PubMed2005

Surgery for primary brain tumors at United States academic training centers: results from the Residency Review Committee for neurological surgery.

OBJECT: Surgery for primary brain tumors has been an important index of the quality of neurosurgical training programs in the US. The scope of such cases and the proportion of surgeries performed transsphenoidally are an interesting means of tracking the effectiveness of residency education. METHODS: Program Information Forms from the 94 American Council for Graduate Medical Education-approved US neurosurgical residency programs were reviewed for the period between 2000 and 2003. Particular attention was focused on an analysis of the cases requiring craniotomy for primary brain tumor and transsphenoidal surgery. The mean annual number of primary brain tumor cases per program was 195, with a range from 36 to 724 cases. The proportion of primary brain tumors accessed transsphenoidally was 20%. The mean annual number of transsphenoidal operations performed at academic training centers was 39. A wide range in the frequency of transsphenoidal cases from one program to another was also noted. Almost one third of training centers performed fewer than 20 transsphenoidal operations annually and 80% performed fewer than 50. CONCLUSIONS: Most neurosurgical training programs provide residents with excellent experience in craniotomy for primary brain tumors. Practice with transsphenoidal surgery, however, is less well represented and tends to be clustered at several active centers. The implications for neurosurgical education are significant.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMed2004

Student USMLE step 1 preparation and performance.

OBJECTIVES: Many medical students take commercial preparation courses to prepare for the USMLE Step 1. This investigation examined the relationships among Step 1 performance, preparation method, and academic achievement in medical school. METHOD: A survey was conducted on 148 junior students at a medical school in July 2000 regarding their preparation methods for Step 1. Additional data was collected on student Step 1 scores, attendance record on preparation courses, and course grades in medical school. RESULTS: One hundred students (68%) responded to the survey including 32 preparation course participants. Course participants had significantly lower Step 1 scores and second-year GPAs than those of the non-participants (p < 0.05). However, the effect of preparation method was not significant by using ANCOVA when the second-year GPA was used as a covariate (p = 0.71). CONCLUSION: Performance on Step 1 is related to academic performance in medical school and not the type of preparation methods.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Hemophilia growth and development study: relationships between neuropsychological, neurological, and MRI findings at baseline.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on children's development by identifying neurological and environmental variables associated with neuropsychological measures of cognitive development in HIV-seronegative (HIV-) and HIV-seropositive (HIV+)children and adolescents with hemophilia. METHODS: Participants (N = 298; 60% HIV+) were males ages 7-19 years enrolled in the Hemophilia Growth and Development Study (HGDS). Least squares modeling was used to determine whether there was a difference at baseline in mean neuropsychological test scores by HIV status, age, and neurological baseline findings, adjusting for selected environmental and medical history variables. RESULTS: The participants were within age expectations for general intelligence. Variables associated with lowered neuropsychological performance included academic problems, coordination and/or gait abnormalities, parents' education, and previous head trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Hemophilia-related morbidity has a subtle adverse influence on cognitive performance. HIV infection was not associated with neuropsychological dysfunction in this group even when MRI abnormalities were present.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

A developmental study of the relation between combined learning and performance goals and students' self-regulated learning.

BACKGROUND: Current goal theory models assume that learning goals are adaptive in academic contexts and that performance goals lead to less positive patterns of motivation and self-regulation. These models also implicitly assume that the adaptive nature of these goals is the same at all academic levels. AIMS: The objectives of this study were to examine how combined learning and performance goals are related to self-regulation and academic performance, and whether there is a developmental trend in these relations. SAMPLE: A total of 1072 junior (N = 408, mean age = 11.9), middle (N = 323, mean age = 13.7), and senior (N = 341, mean age = 15.7) high school students were examined. METHOD: They were administered a questionnaire assessing their learning and performance goals and reported their self-regulatory strategies while studying. RESULTS: Analyses showed that whatever their performance goals, having high learning goals promoted younger students' self-regulation. They also showed that, contrary to the findings for younger students, performance goals were related to self-regulation and academic performance at higher school levels. Furthermore, high performance goals were found to alleviate the negative effects of low learning goals for older students. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the adaptive nature of goals could change across development. This could be due to contextual factors such as the increasing importance of obtaining good grades to access higher academic levels. Future research should address this issue.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Changing patterns of resident operative experience from 1990 to 1997.

HYPOTHESIS: Resident operative experience has increased or decreased with respect to 12 specific operations. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of resident operative experience reported to the Accreditation Committee for Graduate Medical Education for academic years 1990-1997. SUBJECTS: Residents completing an Accreditation Committee for Graduate Medical Education surgical program. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The total number of residents, average number of operations performed per resident, and the most common operations performed. RESULTS: The number of house staff completing surgical residency training programs has remained constant, while operative volume has increased from 1991 to 1997. Comparison of the frequencies of 12 selected operative procedures performed in academic years 1990-1991 and 1996-1997 found increases in the following procedures: carotid endarterectomy (137%), pancreaticoduodenectomy (66.7%), laparoscopic cholecystectomy (64.8%), parathyroidectomy (51.2%), thyroidectomy (19.2%), colectomy (14.1% to 44.4% depending on subtype), and elective infrarenal aortic aneurysm repair (10.7%). Conversely, frequencies decreased for open cholecystectomy (63.4%), open parietal cell vagotomy (40%), modified radical mastectomy (15.2%), gastroesophageal antireflux procedure (10.4%), and subtotal gastric resection (8.93%). Resident experience was essentially unchanged for emergent infrarenal aortic aneurysm repair and laparoscopic proximal gastric vagotomy. CONCLUSIONS: The number and variety of operative interventions in surgical therapeutics is changing. Continued analysis of the operative experience during surgical training will indicate the need for changing requirements for surgical resident experience. The causes of these shifts are not specifically addressed by this study. Perhaps technological advances in the diagnosis and management of surgical patients or the increase in subspecialty training programs have affected the experience of general surgery trainees.

Accreditation↗
PubMed2006

The positive effect of targeted marketing on an existing uterine fibroid embolization practice.

PURPOSE: Although uterine fibroid embolization is an effective treatment option for symptomatic women, it is unclear what methods can be used to expand referrals in an already established practice. The authors tested the hypothesis that an advertising strategy focused on a defined target market can expand an existing uterine fibroid embolization practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A market-driven planning sequence was employed. This included a determination of goals, an examination of current competition, determination of target market based on local environment and previous consumer use, pretest of product sample, and implementation of advertisement. Based on the analysis the authors determined that the target audience was professional black women aged 35 to 45. A specific weekly magazine was selected due to readership demographics. An advertisement was run for 8 consecutive weeks. The authors prospectively tracked patient inquiries, clinic visits, cases performed, and revenues generated for 3 months following the initial advertisement. All patients were seen in a fully staffed, preexisting fibroid clinic located within an urban, university-based academic practice performing 250 uterine fibroid embolizations annually. RESULTS: Ninety calls were received directly related to the advertisement. There were 35 clinic visits, which resulted in 17 uterine fibroid embolizations and 52 total MR imaging procedures. Eighteen patients were not considered candidates based on established protocols. The 17 extra cases performed over 3 months represented a 27% increase in case volume. Total professional cash collections for these cases (including MR imaging) were 58,317 US dollars. The cost of advertising was 8,000 US dollars. As a result of existing infrastructure, no additional costs were necessary. This resulted in a net revenue gain 50,317 US dollars and a nonannualized rate of return of approximately 625%. CONCLUSION: As Interventional Radiologists look to develop and expand existing practices, traditional marketing tools such as those utilized in this study can be used to facilitate practice growth for specific clinical programs, such as uterine artery embolization. Defining a target market can significantly expand an existing uterine fibroid embolization practice. The optimal choice of targeted media awaits verification from future studies.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Safety words inventory and literacy screener: standardization and validation.

When evaluating a school-aged patient, particularly for such issues as attention deficit disorder, or learning disabilities, health-care providers are encouraged to appraise children's school performance. Although some clinicians seek teachers' comments, recent research suggests that teachers' appraisals have limited value. As a consequence, health-care providers need brief methods, functional for busy primary care clinics, for detecting school problems. Because well-visits also include other services such as anticipatory guidance and safety and injury counseling, it would be helpful for detection tools to facilitate delivery of more than one aspect of well-child care. This study was undertaken to develop a brief method for evaluating school performance for elementary-age children and test its accuracy in identifying children with reading and other academic problems. By using common safety signs as the test stimuli, such a tool should also serve as a springboard to injury prevention counseling. Data were drawn from the standardization and validation data of an individually administered wide-range diagnostic achievement test using a geographically diverse, nationally representative sample of 934 children between 5 and 13 years of age. Children were administered the Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills-Revised (CIBS-R), which includes among its 10 subtests a 57-item measure of safety word recognition. Data were collected from previously administered measures of academics and intelligence. Forty-one children were administered the measure twice to assess inter-rater reliability. Logistic regression analyses were deployed using children's performance on the nine other subtests of the CIBS-R as the grouping variable, and as predictors, recognition of 57 safety words/phrases. Of these, 22 safety signs (e.g., "Keep out," "No Trespassing," "Danger") were significant predictors of overall academic performance. An additional seven safety words were added due to their ecological significance (e.g., "High Voltage," "Beware of Dog," "Poison," etc.). Receiver operating characteristic was used to determine cut scores based on children's ages in relation to overall academic performance. Cut scores increased with age and produced sensitivity of 78% (range, 73%-88%) and specificity of 84% (range, 77%-87%) to academic performance above and below the 25th percentile--the point where children typically fail to benefit from group instruction and become eligible for remedial reading programs (such as Title I). Children with performance below cut scores were 11 times more likely to have been retained in grade and five times more likely to receive a teacher rating of below average than were children performing above cut scores. Nevertheless, 72% of children with poor performance were not receiving special education or Title I services. Interrater reliability coefficients were high and ranged from .64 to .98. Extrapolating administration times from data on the CIBS-R as a whole suggests the reduced safety words measure takes 3 to 4 minutes to administer and score. The new measure, called the Safety Word Inventory and Literacy Screener (SWILS), consists of 29 words, takes little time to administer and score, and has a high degree of sensitivity and specificity to academic deficits. Use of the SWILS in primary care should enable clinicians to provide focused safety counseling while also screening for school problems.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

The effectiveness of academic admission interviews: an exploratory meta-analysis.

Admission to health-related professions is very competitive and selecting candidates with the best prospects for success is critical. A variety of measures are used to assess candidates to predict success. The purpose of this research was to assess the effectiveness of using selection interviews for admissions. Meta-analysis was applied to a sample of 20 studies examined in a comprehensive review article on the use of interviews in healthcare academic disciplines. Nineteen of these studies examined the relationship between performance in an interview situation and academic performance, while 10 examined the relationship between performance in an interview situation and clinical performance. A separate meta-analysis was conducted for each category of performance measure. The mean sample-size-effect size for studies examining the predictive power of interviews for academic success was 0.06 (95% confidence intervals 0.03-0.08), indicating a very small effect. The sample of studies was homogeneous using a fixed-effect model. The sample of studies for predicting clinical success had a mean effect size of 0.17 (95% confidence intervals 0.11-0.22), indicating modest positive predictive power. Using a random-effects model, this sample of studies was also homogeneous. Future research should investigate a larger sample of primary studies.

Health Occupations↗
PubMed1998

Student level II fieldwork failure: strategies for intervention.

OBJECTIVE: This report describes how common student communicative and behavioral characteristics that appear to predict the existence of potential problems during Level II fieldwork were identified in order to develop and implement preventative interventions during the academic curriculum at New York University (NYU). RECORD REVIEW: A record review of NYU professional-level occupational therapy students from 1986 to 1995 was completed to identify common factors among students who performed well academically but failed clinical fieldwork. Eight communicative and behavioral characteristics were identified: (a) rigidity of thinking, (b) discomfort with the ambiguity that accompanies clinical reasoning, (c) lack of psychological insight, (d) difficulty interpreting feedback, (e) externalization of responsibility, (f) difficulty learning from mistakes, (g) discomfort with the physical handling of patients, and (h) dependence on external measures for self-esteem. INTERVENTION: On the basis of the identified characteristics, five intervention strategies were adopted: (a) academic seminars that address professional behavior and interpersonal skills, (b) faculty feedback to students regarding problematic behaviors, (c) clinician and senior student counseling with identified students, (d) student remediation programs consisting of community service, and (e) student learning contracts based on specific behavioral objectives. These strategies were administered before Level II fieldwork to 10 students in the 1996 class who exhibited the characteristics indicative of potential fieldwork failure. OUTCOME: Of the 10 students in the 1996 class, 7 passed fieldwork without further difficulty, two failed fieldwork midterm assessments but went on to achieve passing final evaluations, and one failed the final fieldwork assessment but passed an additional third fieldwork experience. The class of 1996, which was the first to receive formal intervention designed to decrease fieldwork failure, demonstrated lower fieldwork failure rates than did all other classes in the past 10 years.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1997

Neuropsychological sequelae after treatment for medulloblastoma in childhood--the Taiwan experience.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the functional independence, intellectual performance and academic achievement of children treated for medulloblastoma at the Veterans General Hospital-Taipei. Adverse factors that it was thought would result in significant intellectual impairment were also studied. Nineteen patients with medulloblastoma located over the posterior fossa were enrolled in this study. Their mean age at tumor removal was 6.16 +/- 3.30 (range 2-14) years. Mean full intelligent quotient (FIQ) was 86.00 +/- 22.66, performance intelligent quotient (PIQ) was 85.29 +/- 21.23, and verbal intelligent quotient (VIQ) was 90.50 +/- 23.50. In 11 cases academic achievement at school was poor. Sixteen patients received radiation therapy after tumor removal. Significant negative correlations were noted between IQ and whole-brain irradiation dose (r = -0.72) and between IQ and years after radiation therapy (r = -0.63). The results indicate a need for ongoing attention and intervention to prevent, remedy or minimize deficits produced by the tumor itself and by the cancer treatment.

Achievement↗
PubMed2000

1999 ASGE endoscopic ultrasound survey. ASGE Ad Hoc Endoscopic Ultrasound Committee.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has become an important imaging modality for the diagnosis and staging of gastrointestinal disorders. This study assessed current EUS practice, training, coding, and reimbursement in the United States. METHODS: A direct mail survey was sent to members of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. RESULTS: There were 115 American respondents. The median age was 39 years, 57% were in academic practice, and 84% performed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. The median number of EUS procedures performed was 200. In the preceding year, the median number of upper EUS was 60, lower EUS 10, and EUS/fine-needle aspiration 3. The most common indication was evaluation of esophageal or gastric lesions. Forty-six (40%) trained an average of 0.4 advanced fellows in EUS during the prior year. Of endosonographers involved in training, 53% thought formal training was necessary, for a median of 6 months and 100 procedures; 82% did not know whether they were reimbursed for EUS. There was great variation in the use of current procedural terminology (CPT) codes for lower EUS and upper EUS/fine-needle aspiration. CONCLUSIONS: EUS in the United States in 1999 is performed mostly by young, academic, interventional endoscopists. Diagnostic upper EUS is most commonly performed. Few new endosonographers are being trained. There is great variability in CPT coding of lower EUS and EUS/fine-needle aspiration procedures.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Psychoeducational profile of the 22q11.2 microdeletion: A complex pattern.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the psychoeducational profile associated with the chromosome 22q11.2 microdeletion (DiGeorge/velocardiofacial syndrome). STUDY DESIGN: Thirty-three patients (aged 6 to 27 years) with a 22q11.2 microdeletion underwent psychoeducational testing as part of a comprehensive evaluation. Nonparametric statistics were used to compare verbal and performance IQ, academic achievement scores, and receptive versus expressive language scores. Post hoc comparisons were made of IQ subtest scores and of language versus verbal IQ. RESULTS: Full-scale IQ ranged from the normal to the moderately retarded range. Mean verbal IQ was significantly higher than mean performance IQ. In a similar manner, mean reading and spelling scores were superior to the mean mathematics score, although achievement scores typically were in the range of verbal IQ. In addition, many children showed clinically significant language impairments, with mean language scores lower than mean verbal IQ. CONCLUSIONS: The IQ and academic profiles are reminiscent of a "nonverbal learning disability," although achievement was not discrepant from IQ. The coincidence of language impairment with a relative strength in reading belies a unique neuropsychologic profile. Educational programming for these children must address both verbal and nonverbal deficits.

Adolescent↗