______________________________________________________________________________

School Neuropsychological Evaluation

CONFIDENTIAL
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CLIENT NAME
Date of Birth
Chronological Age
School
Grade

: FOSTER, David
: March 5, 2005
: 9 years, 0 months
: Mount Pleasant Park
: 3

Dates of Assessment
Date of Report

: March 5, 2014
: March 12, 2014

Statement of Confidentiality
All psychological assessments are confidential in nature as they contain private information, which
may be used inappropriately by others. To protect the privacy and ensure confidentiality of the
persons involved, please ensure that this report is only circulated to those who are considered
essential to related judgments and decision- making. The intent of this report is to provide opinions
and recommendations in the context of psychological intervention, educational and vocational
decision-making, and any use of this report outside of that purpose should only be done with the
informed consent of the parties and in consultation with the writer.
U-CAPES does not conduct parenting capacity or custody and access assessments and Davids
parents were informed that this assessment is not intended to be used for such purposes.

REASON FOR REFERRAL:

David was referred for a psycho-educational assessment by his parents in regards to his difficulties
with reading, writing, and peer relationships. He currently receives ELA resource instruction three
mornings a week in school where they have not been able to provide an assessment for him. His
resource teacher recognized that David is behind grade level in reading and spelling. His parents
expressed that they would like to know how they could help David with his confidence and reading.
This assessment was requested to determine Davids needs in regards to reading, spelling, and
writing.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
U-CAPES Family History Form
U-CAPES School History Form
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children 4th Edition (WISC-IV)
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test 3rd Edition (WIAT-III)
The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration 6th Edition (Beery VMI)

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Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing 2nd Edition (CTOPP-2)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Davids background information was gathered from the U-CAPES Family History Form that was
completed by his mother and the U-CAPES School History Form that was completed by his
resource teacher.
Developmental and Medical History
Davids mother reported that he was born following a normal pregnancy and was delivered at fullterm (40 weeks) with no complications. His language and motor developmental milestones were
reached within the appropriate age ranges. He was described as a happy child who would complain
about occasional headaches. No other significant medical or health history was reported.
Family and Relationship History
At the time of the assessment, David was living in Calgary with his parents Julie and Clair Foster
along with his younger brother (age 7). Davids father Clair is an engineer and his mother is a
bookkeeper. His mother reported that Davids paternal grandfather had troubles with reading and
that his maternal grandmother had depression.
Social and Behavioural History
Davids favourite activities are riding his bike and drawing. His mother and resource teacher
identified that he has problems getting along with peers, taking turns, being invited to play by
another child, sharing, and cooperating. His mother reported that he likes things to go his way
when playing with others. His resource teacher commented that David prefers to play alone but will
play with his classmates when he is encouraged.
Educational History
Davids mother and resource teacher both reported that he has strong higher-level thinking skills
and artistic ability. He has interests in math and science. He also does well at planning and
creating projects using a variety of materials, and working with his hands. His resource teacher
pointed out that he has a minor problem with fine-motor skills.
Davids mother and resource teacher indicated that he has moderate problems in reading and
written language. His resource teacher estimated that David was below grade level in reading and
spelling. She described his writing as having letters that are often printed too large with incorrect
phonetic spelling. His reading is choppy with difficulty in decoding. According to Davids mother
and resource teacher, he receives special support and ELA resource instruction three mornings a
week.
His resource teacher stated that his motivation and confidence, particularly with reading, have been
declining since the beginning of the school year. In regards to his schoolwork, his resource teacher
reported that he likes to work at his own pace but would often fall behind. He is also slow at

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switching tasks and being able to change activities. Often he does not notice errors and is not
critical in his own work. She also indicated that he has minor problems in finishing tasks,
following routines, and becomes easily frustrated. Davids mother and resource teacher both
acknowledge that he experiences anxiety in regards to reading out loud and does not want others to
know that he is receiving help from the teacher or that he is different from his classmates.
CURRENT ASSESSMENT RESULTS
Observations during Individual Assessment:
David attended the clinical interview and assessment sessions readily with some initial
nervousness, but quickly became at ease. He was very compliant at answering questions and
following directions as well as maintaining good eye contact. He was able to easily respond to
questions.
During testing, David demonstrated persistence by refusing to give up when the tasks became more
difficult. This determination led him to work on the assessments in a methodical approach that
required a lot of concentration, which was observed by his quiet behaviour during testing. He
would also check his work over carefully before declaring that he was finished. It appeared as
though he had high expectations of himself by commenting that he could have done better in
between the assessments. Overall, Davids attention, concentration, effort, and motivation were
adequate, and test results are deemed to be a valid estimate of his current level of functioning.
_______________________________________________________________________________

ASSESSMENT RESULTS AND CLINICAL IMPRESSIONS

________________________________________________________________________________
Cognitive Functioning
David was administered the WISC-IV to evaluate his general cognitive functioning. Due to
significant discrepancies between the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) and Perceptual
Reasoning Index (PRI) scores, the Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ) was not considered to be a true
representation of his abilities. Therefore, the most accurate and reliable demonstration of Davids
cognitive functioning is to consider each of the index scores separately.
On the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), which measures thinking and problem-solving using
language, David scored within the Average range at the 50th percentile. This means that he did as
well as or better than 50 out of 100 others in the tests similar age-comparison group. He earned an
Above Average score (87th percentile) on a task requiring him to verbally define words that were
read out loud. This subtest was a relative strength in comparison to his Average scores on other
VCI tasks requiring him to identify the commonalities between two familiar objects or concepts
(25th percentile), understand general principles and social situations (37th percentile), and answer
questions testing general knowledge (25th percentile). The relative strength in his vocabulary in
comparison to his word-retrieval skills suggests that Davids ability to articulate is better developed
than his practical reasoning and understanding of verbal concepts.

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Davids verbal skills were also measured using the Oral Expression subtest of the WIAT-III. This
task required David to listen to sentences and repeat them back to the examiner, as well as answer
comprehension questions after listening to an audio recording of narratives, conversations, and
commercials. David performed within the Average range (39th percentile) on this subtest, indicating
that his listening comprehension and expressive vocabulary are adequately developed.
Davids ability to process visual information was measured using the Perceptual Reasoning Index
(PRI) on the WISC-IV. On this Index, he presented within the Above Average range at the 91st
percentile. David performed within the Well Above Average range (95th percentile) on a task that
required him to reproduce two-dimensional visual designs using sixed-sided three-dimensional
blocks that have alternating patterns of red and white sections on each block face. This
measurement demonstrated an overall strength for him in terms of his visual-spatial processing and
visual-motor coordination. He also performed within the Average range on a task where he had to
identify an essential feature missing from drawings of objects, people, and animals. A third task
consisted of a series of incomplete visual patterns (matrices) where David had to select the portion
that was missing from five response options. He measured within the Above Average range (84th
percentile), indicating this his ability to complete a pattern is a relative strength.
Davids visual processing along with integration of his motor skills were tested using the Beery
VMI, which assesses eye-hand coordination for paper-and-pencil tasks in a structured format as
well as visual perception of patterns. He scored within the High Average range (94th percentile) on
the Beery VMI test where he had to copy target shapes, which indicated that his visual and motor
abilities are well coordinated. He took his time to carefully check that his lines were precise and
that his copies were the exact same size as the target design. David also demonstrated Above
Average ability on a subtest measuring his visual perception (82nd percentile) where he had to
visually discriminate and identify similar forms. However, he was insistent that none of the shapes
in the array were exactly the same as the target shape. The examiner questioned him on this and he
claimed that none of them were the same due to the colouring of the paper. David was unable to
recognize that he was focusing too much on details that were irrelevant to the outcomes of this
assessment. On a timed subtest that measured his motor coordination, he scored within the Average
range (30th percentile). His performance on this subtest demonstrated a relative weakness in his
ability to trace and control fine motor movements in comparison to his visual perception and visualmotor integration skills. His extra attention to detail hindered his ability to perform better on this
subtest since he ran out of time.
Davids ability to retain and manipulate auditory information in short-term memory was evaluated
by the Working Memory Index (WMI) on the WISC-IV. Overall, he demonstrated an Average
performance on this Index (50th percentile). Within the VMI, the subtest scores fell within the
Average range and were evenly developed. This suggests that there are no concerns in this area.
Davids working memory ability in terms of phonological processing was further tested using the
CTOPP-2. His composite score on Phonological Awareness (73rd percentile) placed him within the
Average range where he had to take out certain sounds and parts of words as well as put together
parts of a compound word, or single sounds to make up a complex word. This demonstrates that
David has adequate knowledge of the phonological structure of oral language. The Phonological
Memory composite score was also within the Average range (50th percentile) where he

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demonstrated a satisfactory ability to memorize digits and repeat non-words. This result indicates
that he is able to appropriately decode and comprehend text. Davids Rapid Naming composite
score (16th percentile) fell within the Below Average range. He had difficulties with rapidly naming
numbers (16th percentile) and letters (16th percentile). These scores demonstrate a difficulty for
David to retrieve phonological information from long-term memory in order to decode unfamiliar
words and to be able to read fluently.
The Processing Speed Index (PSI) in the WISC-IV evaluated Davids ability to quickly and
efficiently complete simple visual tasks. This Index score is not considered to be an accurate
measure of his processing speed because of the significant difference between the two subtests
within the PSI. Therefore, his PSI score is not reported. David measured within the lower limits of
the average range (25th percentile) on a subtest that required him to quickly learn and use a set of
symbol associations to copy out symbols paired with other ones as well as numbers in a certain
amount of time. On the other subtest in the PSI, he had to visually scan a search group row and
indicate whether the target symbols match any of the symbols in the search group within a specified
time limit. He measured within the above average range (84th percentile) for this task. This
discrepancy suggests that Davids visual perception skills that discriminate between objects without
using association are better developed than his visual perception skills that do use association
between objects.
Academic Functioning
Reading
The Basic Reading composite measured Davids sight word reading skills as well as his ability to
use phonetic skills to decode nonsense words, where he performed within the Below Average range
(9th percentile). He measured within the Below Average range (7th percentile) on a task requiring
him to read from a list of increasingly difficult sight words. David demonstrated slow decoding
skills during this activity, indicating a less developed skill in specific word recognition. He also
performed within the Below Average range (12th percentile) on a task requiring him to utilize his
phonetic knowledge to read nonsense words. This result would suggest that Davids basic reading
skills are affected by his ability to recognize and/or transfer phonetic knowledge to blend sounds
together within a word as he reads. Davids Reading Comprehension and Fluency composite score
was measured through tasks requiring him to demonstrate his knowledge of passages that he read as
well as being able to fluently read specific passages of increasing difficulty. Overall, David
performed within the Far Below Average range (1st percentile), scoring within the Far Below
Average range (0.5th percentile) on a task that measured his ability to read quickly, accurately, and
with comprehension. This was observed by his weak decoding skills and choppy, disjointed
reading. In another task that required David to read passages of text and answer comprehension
questions, he scored within the Far Below Average range (4th percentile), suggesting that he has a
weakness in understanding text that he reads. Overall, Davids results on these tasks indicate that
his reading skills are significantly less developed in comparison to his same-age peers. He appeared
frustrated during these reading tasks, which confirmed that he is aware of his reading difficulties.
Written Language
Davids overall performance on Written Language tasks was within the Low Average range (19th
percentile). On a task requiring him to spell words read out loud to him, he placed within the

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Below Average range (9th percentile). In comparison, he scored within the Average range on tasks
where he had to write individual sentences (50th percentile) and an essay (27th percentile). On the
latter task, he had to write a short essay on an activity of interest. David found it difficult to
generate ideas without cues. As a result, he started the essay twice after deciding to switch topics
after the first attempt. In terms of Davids general writing style, he used a mature pencil grasp but
was a slow and methodical writer. He wrote large letters starting from the bottom-up.
Mathematics
Davids overall performance on tasks involving Mathematics was within the Average range (47th
percentile). His scores on each of these subtests also fell within the Average range. Overall, these
measures verify that Davids ability to perform basic mathematical operations and to use
information to solve math problems is appropriately developed.
SUMMARY & DIAGNOSIS:
David is 9 years old and is in grade 3 at Mount Pleasant Park Elementary School. He was referred
for a psychoeducational assessment by his parents who expressed concern over his reading ability
and would like to know how they can help him with his confidence and reading. His resource
teacher reported that he is below grade level in reading and spelling and tends to take too long
completing his schoolwork. He also has problems with written language output and with his
motivation and self-esteem. He is currently receiving extra support in ELA three mornings a week.
During formal assessment, David exhibited a slow, careful approach in completion of tasks. He
was persistent when the tasks became more difficult and would take his time checking over his
work. His method of being thorough and overly attentive to detail were contributing factors in him
taking longer than what was typical to complete certain tasks, especially those that required fine
motor skills such as writing.
Davids visual perception, motor coordination, and integration of these skills were tested using the
Beery VMI. He performed within the High Average range on his visual-motor integration and
within the above average range on his visual perception abilities. These results were found to be
significantly greater than testing of his motor coordination, which suggests that he struggles with
some fine-motor skills in regards to writing tasks, particularly when there is a time limit. Davids
phonological abilities were also tested using the CTOPP-2. His phonological awareness and
memory were within the Average range. However, his ability to rapidly name letters and numbers
were below average, which indicates that David has difficulty with his short-term memory
processing of phonological information. It also indicates that he struggles with long-term memory
retrieval of familiar word knowledge.
Davids cognitive abilities were assessed using the WISC-IV. He measured significantly higher on
the PRI in comparison to his other Index scores, indicating that his nonverbal reasoning skills are
better developed than his verbal comprehension, working memory, and processing speed which
were all within the Average range. Due to this significant difference, his FSIQ score was not
reported since it was not considered to be an accurate representation of his overall cognitive
abilities. Davids PSI score was also not reported due to significant differences of the subtest
scores within this Index. He achieved significantly higher on a timed task where he had to match

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one object in an array of shapes with a target object than on another timed task where he had to
copy out symbols that were associated with other shapes and numbers. The latter task required a
greater use of his writing skills and short-term memory retrieval of the symbol associations. This
difficulty further demonstrates his problems with short-term memory processing of phonological
information (as was demonstrated in the rapid naming activity in the CTOPP-2) and with his fine
motor skills for writing (especially since it was a timed task). Davids increased focus to detail also
made it difficult for him to complete tasks within limited amounts of time, especially if they were
using his fine motor skills which can be an area of difficulty him.
Davids academic testing demonstrated performance within the Average range in mathematics, oral
expression, composition of sentences, and essay writing. He scored within the Far Below Average
or Below Average ranges on subtests involving reading and spelling. His greatest area of weakness
in reading was with oral reading fluency, which can be attributed to his difficulty with phonological
processing and word retrieval from long-term memory. Davids inability to properly store and
retrieve phonological information is also inhibiting his spelling ability since he is using incorrect
strategies to spell phonetically. His difficulties with reading fluency and single word reading are
preventing him from understanding what he is reading, as demonstrated by his low reading
comprehension score.
Based on Davids assessment and observational data, significant impairment in basic reading is
preventing him from achieving success in higher-level reading skills such as reading
comprehension and fluency, which also show considerable weakness. Given the outcomes of the
current assessment criteria and the behavioural patterns demonstrated, David meets the diagnostic
criteria in the DSM-V of a Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) with Impairment in Reading 315.00
(F81.0). Davids particular pattern of difficulties is consistent to the characteristics of Dyslexia due
to his problems with accurate and fluent word recognition, poor decoding, reading comprehension,
and poor spelling abilities.

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Appendix A: Test results

Test results should be interpreted with the support of a registered psychologist.
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fourth Edition (WISC-IV)
The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children- Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) is a standardized
intelligence test consisting of a series of ten core subtests and five optional subtests designed to
measure the intellectual functioning of an individual as compared to others of the same age. A Full
Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) is derived from the combined results of the core subtests. The
WISC-IV also provides four factor-based scores, including Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual
Reasoning, Working Memory, and Processing Speed. Canadian norms were used to score this
measure.
Composite Scores Summary (Canadian Norms):
Composite
Score

Percentile
Rank

95%
Confidence
Interval

Classification

100

50

93-107

Average

120

91

110-126

Above Average

100

50

92-108

Average

103

58

94-111

Average

WISC-IV Subtest Scores:

Scaled
Subtest
Score

Percentile
Rank

Index
Verbal
Comprehension
Perceptual
Reasoning
Working
Memory
Processing
Speed
Full Scale

S/W

Scaled
Score

Percentile
Rank

Digit
Span
LetterNumber
Sequencing

11

63

37

Subtest

Similarities

25

Vocabulary

13

84

Comprehension

37

Coding

25

(Information)

25

Symbol
Search

13

84

Block Design

15

95

Picture
Concepts
Matrix
Reasoning

11

63

13

84

S/W

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Wechsler Individual Achievement Test Third Edition (WIAT-III)

The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Third Edition (WIAT-III) is a standardized test of
achievement and functioning. The WIAT-III is an individually administered measure that examines
performance in the areas of Reading, Mathematics, Written Language, and Oral Language. Scores
in each of these domains are then combined to provide an overall achievement score.
WIAT-III Subtest and Composite Scores Summary (Canadian Norms)
Standard
Score

95%
Confidence
Interval

Percentile
Rank

Classification

Total Reading

71

6775

Far Below Average

Basic Reading
Reading
Comprehension
and Fluency

80

7783

Below Average

65

5773

Far Below Average

Written Expression

87

8094

19

Low Average

Mathematics

99

91107

47

Average

WIAT-III Subtest scores

Early Reading
Skills
Reading
Comprehensio
n
Math Problem
Solving
Sentence
Composition
Word Reading
Essay
Composition
Pseudoword
Decoding
Numerical
Operations
Oral
Expression

Standard
Score

95%
Confidence
Interval

Percentile Rank

Classification

79

7286

Below Average

73

6185

Far Below Average

99

89109

47

Average

100

90110

50

Average

78

7482

Below Average

91

81101

27

Average

82

7787

12

Below Average

100

91109

50

Average

96

85107

39

Average

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Oral Reading
Fluency

61

5369

0.5

Far Below Average

Spelling

80

7387

Below Average

Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration - Sixth Edition (Beery

VMI)
The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration - Sixth Edition (Beery VMI)
is a standardized test that examines a childs ability to accurately integrate visual skills, visual
perceptual skills and motor skills to produce visual models using paper and pencil.
Standard
Score

Percentile

Performance Level

Beery VMI

123

94

High Average

Visual Perception

114

82

Above Average

Motor Coordination

92

30

Average

Scale

Comprehensive Test of Phonological Awareness Second Edition (CTOPP-2)

The Comprehensive Test of Phonological Awareness Second Edition (CTOPP-2) is a
measurement that examines phonological abilities. The CTOPP-2 provides scores for three
composites: Phonological Awareness (an awareness of, and access to, the sound structure of oral
language), Phonological Memory (the ability to code information phonologically for temporary
use in short-term memory), and Rapid Naming (the ability retrieve phonological information from
long-term memory).
Composite/
Standard Score

Percentile Rank

Description

PHONOLOGICAL
AWARENESS

108

73

Average

Elision

11

63

Average

Blending Words

12

50

Average

PHONOLOGICAL
MEMORY

100

50

Average

Memory for Digits

10

50

Average

Non-word Repetition

10

50

Average

RAPID NAMING

86

16

Below Average

Rapid Digit Naming

16

Below Average

Rapid Letter Naming

16

Below Average

Composite/Scale