Julia's question:-

>>Does anyone have any information on how accurate Dyslexia Tests such as the
>>Wechsler are for students whos first language is not English?


- is a pretty important one, so my response is a fairly detailed one.


1] I estimate that about 10% of the students I see have English as a second
or third language. It is possible to arrive at an appropriate diagnosis,
but additional caution is required.


2] The role of the WAIS is crucial, but it must also be seen as a tool to
be used in context. The WAIS is crucial to a diagnosis in that it helps to
reveal whether cognitive deficits such as a weak working memory and/or slow
speed of visual processing are present.

These deficits can also be found in cases of dyspraxia and ADHD as well so
additional information is required. This is where context becomes very
important - for anyone being assessed.


3] Context.


A detailed personal history is vital. It is important to note that dyslexia
is much more than reading and spelling. It is best thought of as a life
style, and reveals its presence in a variety of ways.


For example, if someone has learnt to play a musical instrument, questions
about speed of learning, ability to remember chord shapes, finger dexterity,
hand-eye coordination, learning to read music and remember scales, all
provide useful data.


A detailed personal history provides a mossaic of detail that is invaluable.
 Without this, in the case of a student with ESL who has suspected dyslexia,
a meaningful diagnosis is almost impossible.


4] You have to learnt to 'read' the WAIS data at a micro level. The
calculation of Verbal Comprehension is based on three subtests. These three
scores are likely to be depressed in a student with ESL, but not equally.


For example, Heidi scored 10 on Vocabularly, [this is the midpoint], 14 on
Similarities, and 13 on Information. Her score on Comprehension [another
verbal reasoning task that is an optional task] was 15. A score of 15
places her very comfortably in the top 5% of the population


Her scores may be compared with Joan [a UK student] who scored 13 on
Vocabulary and Similarities, and 12 on Information. This is a flatter
pattern.


The kind of pattern seen with Heidi reveals a much greater ability to
understand concepts than an ability to define the meanings of English words.
 This kind of pattern reveals that Heidi's Verbal Comprehension score will
be an underestimation. This is very important, for in determining whether a
working memory deficit is present, the Verbal Comprehension score has to be
compared with the composite score for the three working memory subtests. An
underestimation in Verbal Comprehension will masks the magnitude of a
memory deficit. The subtest scores for Comprehension and Similarities
therefore become very important points of comparison.


A flatish profile, such as that for Joan, would indicate a general fluency
with English, and mean that her Verbal Comprehension score is a good
reflection of verbal reasoning skills in English.


5] Length of time spent learning English.

Iain Hood's comments reveals a genuine difficulty in arriving at a 'how long
is a piece of string question'.


In my experience, the important question is one of HOW English has been
learnt rather than for how long. For example, I have seen students who have
been born in the UK, but brought up in a family that speaks only a native
language in everyday life. In addition, they preferentially speak that
language in school as well. I have seen others, refugees, who have been in
the UK for several years, who have been immersed in English, an whose
command of English is higher than the afore-mentioned case.



5] Cultural factors.


I sense that some of the students I see have been overlooked in school
because it is very easy to attribute literacy difficulties to their learning
English as a second language.


In some cases, their culture is one that is unfamilar with dyslexia, so
there may be no pressure from parents as to whether their child is dyslexic.
 There are also some cultures where dyslexia is thought of in very negative
terms, and this expresses itself in a high level of anxiety and [very
occasionally] a desire to have an assessment report ammended.


Arriving at a diagnosis can sometimes be an 'eggshell type process,
particularly as arriving at a diagnosis is a clinical judgement, and it
istherefore a judgement based on probabilities. That is why a detailed
personal history and microanalysis are so important. They help to reduce
the porability of making an error of judgement.


Iain's point is important for it implies that some ed psychs are refusing to
consider carrying out an assessment without an adequate justification.
However, we have to take care that we don't inadvertently discriminate
against students with ESL just because it is more difficult to arrive at a
judgement. If the kind of care is taken that I refer to, then the travesty
of diagnosis that Iain refers to will be avoided - or at least greatly
reduced.


Dyslexia [and dyspraxia] know no national boundaries. Neither should ed
psychs.

Regards

David Grant, PhD., Chartered Psychologist
dyslexia diagnosis - a specialist service for students
3 Rosebank Road
Hanwell
London W7 2EW

Tel: 020 8579 1902

e-mail: [log in to unmask]

----------
>From: Julia Ann Dixon <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Dyslexia Assessment
>Date: Fri, May 17, 2002, 11:47 am
>

>Does anyone have any information on how accurate Dyslexia Tests such as the
>Wechsler are for students whos first language is not English?
>
>Julia Dixon