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Comparison of the WAIS-III and WISC-IV in 16-year-old special education students
- Authors:
- GORDON Shirley, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 23(2), March 2010, pp.197-200.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Previous research with earlier versions of the WISC and WAIS has demonstrated that when administered to people who have intellectual disabilities, the WAIS produced higher IQ scores than the WISC. This study, examining whether these differences still exist, compared the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, third edition (WAIS-III) to the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, fourth edition (WISC-IV) via tests on individuals who were 16 years old and receiving special education. The WAIS-III mean full scale IQ was 11.82 points higher than the equivalent WISC-IV score. Considerable differences were also found between the Verbal Comprehension Index, Perceptual Reasoning/Organisation Index and Processing Speed Index on the WAIS-III and WISC-IV, with, in each instance, the WAIS-III scoring higher. The results indicate that the WAIS-III generates higher scores than the WISC-IV in people with intellectual disabilities. The authors conclude that this has implications for definitions of intellectual disability, suggest that psychologists should be cautious when interpreting and reporting IQ scores on the WAIS-III and WISC-IV.
Utility of the brief symptom inventory in the assessment of psychological distress
- Authors:
- KELLETT Stephen, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 16(2), June 2003, pp.127-134.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
People with intellectual disabilities are now acknowledged to be susceptible to the full range of mental health disorders. This acknowledgement has resulted in the need to develop and evaluate instruments for the assessment and detection of mental health problems. This research evaluates the use of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) with 200 people with mild intellectual disabilities representing community, clinical and forensic populations.
Development and psychometric properties of the Glasgow Depression Scale for people with a learning disability
- Authors:
- CUTHILL Fiona M., ESPIE Colin A., COOPER Sally-Anne
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 182(4), April 2003, pp.347-353.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
There is no reliable and valid self-report measure of depressive symptoms for people with learning disabilities. The aim of the article was to develop a scale for individuals with learning disability, and a supplementary scale for carers. Items were generated from a range of assessment scales and through focus groups. A draft scale was piloted and field tested using matched groups of people with or without depression, and their carers. The scale was also administered to a group without learning disabilities for criterion validation. The Glasgow Depression Scale for people with a Learning Disability (GDS-LD) differentiated depression and non-depression groups, correlated with the Beck Depression Inventory - II (r=0.88), had good test-retest reliability (r=0.97) and internal consistency (Cronbach's =0.90), and a cut-off score (13) yielded 96% sensitivity and 90% specificity. The Carer Supplement was also reliable (r=0.98; =0.88), correlating with the GDS-LD (r=0.93). Both scales appear useful for screening, monitoring progress and contributing to outcome appraisal.
Does assessment make a difference for people with dementia? The effectiveness of the Aged Care Assessment Teams in Australia
- Authors:
- HOWE Anna L., KUNG Francis
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 18(3), March 2003, pp.205-210.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The needs of individuals with dementia and other psychiatric problems of old age have received increased attention in Australia over the last decade. This paper reports on the role of Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs) in managing these clients, and the extent to which they are differentiated from other clients in the assessment process and outcomes recommended. Data on some 26,500 clients seen by ACATs in Victoria in the second half of 1999 are analysed to show firstly, the relationship between a diagnosis of dementia and reporting of disability in orientation, secondly, characteristics of clients with and without a diagnosis of dementia and lastly, outcomes for groups of clients defined on the basis of a diagnosis of dementia and disability in orientation.
Psychological disturbance associated with sexual abuse in people with learning disabilities: case control study
- Authors:
- SEQUEIRA Heather, HOWLIN Patricia, HOLLINS Sheila
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 183(11), November 2003, pp.451-456.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
The association between sexual abuse, mental health and behavioural problems in people with learning disabilities has not previously been examined in a controlled study. The aim was to identify symptoms of psychological disturbance in adults with and without a confirmed history of sexual abuse. The study used a matched (1:1) case-control design comparing 54 adults who had experienced sexual abuse with 54 adults with no reported history of abuse. The two groups were selected from a community population of adults with learning disabilities living in residential care, and compared for selected psychiatric diagnoses and for scores on measures of disturbed behaviour. Sexual abuse was associated with increased rates of mental illness and behavioural problems, and with symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Psychological reactions to abuse were similar to those observed in the general population, but with the addition of stereotypical behaviour. The more serious the abuse, the more severe the symptoms that were reported. The study provides the first evidence from a controlled study that sexual abuse is associated with a higher incidence of psychiatric and behavioural disorder in people with learning disabilities.