A Comparison of WAIS-R Profiles of Nondisabled College Freshmen and College Students with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) profiles of two groups of students at Penn State were examined. One group of students had been classified as learning disabled on criteria other than their performance on the WAIS-R; the second group of students were randomly selected from incoming freshmen. The two groups were compared on several intellectual characteristics: absolute Verbal IQ-Performance IQ (VIQ-PIQ) differences, range and variability of subtests, Bannatyne's scheme for recategorizing the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), and ACID cluster (Arithmetic, Coding, Information, and Digit Span). No significant differences were found between college students classified as learning disabled and randomly selected college freshmen on VIQ-PIQ differences. However, when compared to the random sample of freshmen, college students classified as learning disabled had more variable subtest performances. College students who were learning disabled did not demonstrate the characteristic hierarchy of clusters on Bannatyne's reorganization of the WAIS-R; the hierarchies were the same in both groups. Finally, the nondisabled freshmen sample had significantly higher means than the sample of students with learning disabilities on the ACID cluster. Although significant mean differences were observed, substantial overlap between the two groups was noted. Thus, the performances of students in the two groups were largely indistinguishable. Implications for the diagnosis of learning disabilities in college populations are discussed.