Finally got the diagnosis...help me understand it please!

[woolytree]

We knew it would say ASD and speech problems so I dont feel to bad...relieved really. (cant wait to shove the finer details in schools face....[hangry])

So reading through it they have basically described all the traits we mentioned at assessment, i dont understand the Preschool CELF results and what they mean, she scored 5,2,5...average being 7-13. Also she did the WPPSI-IIIUK subtests, her verbal IQ is only 61, 0.5th percentile??? Her performance IQ is at 93, 32nd percentile, so within average. The report specifies it is not helpfull in DDs case to represent her general ability in a single figure (full scale IQ). She has 'significant difficulties in verbal comprehension and reasoning'. It summarises that DD needs 'specialist strategies and support both at school and home'.

So someone explain percentiles etc to me!

Percentiles are easy. They are percentages.

32nd percentile means out of 100 kids 31 would score lower than her and 67 would sore higher....

So her verbal IQ score seems depressingly low. I hope that is just because the test wasn't appropriate for her?

Percentiles are where you fit in the normal range expressed in percentage terms.

So for the numbers you gave:

61, 0.5th percentile is in the lowest 0.5% of the normal population.
93, is in the lowest 32% of the normal population but, as you rightly noted, 85-115 is considered within the normal range.

It's the same as if someone who was 4ft 11inchs.
They would be in the shortest 1% of the population so 1st percetile.

Does that make sense?

Thanks for the replies. :) That makes more sense to me now.

Im sad to say I think the verbal IQ is right. She does 'talk' but really struggles to have conversations, follow instructions and do little other than copy her peers. She gets very distressed when people talk to her directly. SALT starts tomorrow in school...so further assesments to follow but her understanding is her biggest hurdle.

The IQ scores will go up - children with ASD notoriously score beneath their ability because many of the tests are language based which of course they struggle with - also co-operation with tests can be a big issue. DS performance IQ score went up 20 points in months after intervention started because he 'got' that he had to answer the questions where before he just blanked the tester! So don't get too hung up on the scores.

Remember as well, woolytree, that if she has ASD, the likelihood is that a lot of the 'dip' in score is likely to be 'non-compliance' - if she doesn't enjoy verbal interaction, she isn't going to do anything that prolongs it, and it is possible that this will pull a score down even further.

My DD1 scored 5th percentile for Verbal Comprehension using the Reynell Developmental Language scales. However, the test took over an hour, because the SALT had to stop and re-engage DD1 each and every time to ask the next question. DD1 was wandering off, looking through the SALT's bag, etc. If she had just done the test without spending huge efforts to get her co-operation for each task, DD1 would have been off the scale - even with all that effort she only got to the 5th centile.

x-posts with Agnesdipesto - there you go

Thanks all. :)

She did all the tests really well, enjoyed them in fact...secret geek [hsmile]..just instantly shuts down when its a verbal test. Its not just people talking at her she just doesnt understand language more complex than a one or two step instruction. I get your point though so Ill not dwell on it.

...I told the lovely mums at ASD workshop about MN being so brilliant!!!! [hgrin]