Which Test to use to learn if it's LD / Dyslexic / Dygraphia?

1. Phonemic Awareness
2. Phonics
3. Fluency
4. Vocabulary
5. Comprehension strategies

1. Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP), for Phonemic Awareness.
2. Woodcock Reading Mastery Test - Revised (WRMT_R) "Word Attack" (Is a more in-depth reading decoding assessment, word-level phonetic decoding skills), for Phonics.
   
3. Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT) measures fluency, accuracy, rate, and comprehension when the student is reading outloud, for Fluency.
4. Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests, 4th Edition (GMRT-4), for Reading Comprehension.
5. Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), for Vocabulary.
   

• Other academic assessments:
• Written Language (expressing their thoughts in writing and how fluent)
• Test of Written Spelling (TWS) for Encoding (the opposite of Decoding)
• Math (calculations and math reasoning)
  

Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Overcoming Reading Problems at Any Level
by Sally Shaywitz (2003)
Chapter 11: Diagnosing Dyslexia in School-Age Child

(If your school is going to use the The Woodcock Johnson III (WJ-III))

Dr. Shaywitz suggest the use of several of the subtests that must be used, they are the ability to read nonsense words, the WJ-III calls (1.) Word Attack, (2.) Reading Comprehension, and (3.) Reading Fluency.
To assess all 5 area of reading, include (4.) Reading Vocabulary and (5.) Sound Awareness subtest, (that is a Phonemic Awareness test) and also Sound Blending subtest, a Spelling of sounds subtest, and Picture Vocabulary subtest.  Other academic areas to assess: writing, spelling and math (including writing fluency and math fluency).
Click here to view the WJ III subtests.

 "Dyslexic readers often do better on test of reading comprehension than on measures that ask them to decode isolated single words."  Beware of the cluster scores: "Broad Reading", is an averages of several of the reading subtest scores.  A high score in reading comprehension can hide a decoding and reading fluency problem.



page 135:
The evaluation is looking for a pattern in the test results that point to dyslexia:


• difficulty reading single words
• particular difficulty decoding nonsense or unfamiliar words
• reading comprehension that is superior to decoding of individual words
• inaccurate and labored oral reading of passages
• trouble reading small function words-that, is, an, for
• slow reading
• poor spelling

page 133:
Dr. Shaywitz recommends a three step evaluation process:


1. Establish a reading problem according to age and education
2. Gather evidence supporting the unexpectedness of the problem despite good intellect, motivation, and exposure to reasonable reading instruction; high learning capability may be determined solely on the basis of education or professional level of attainment
3. Demonstrate evidence of an isolated phonologic weakness (use the CTOPP) with other higher level language functions relatively unaffected (i.e., vocabulary, spoken language, etc..)
(Thanks to Kim in Western Mass for sharing this information on MassPAC yahoo list.)



If your child is being evaluated this article has a very complete list you can use to request the tests to be performed.

The 90 Minute Dysgraphia Evaluation

Neuropsychology of Dygraphia
written by Steven G. Feifer, Ed.S, NCSP and Philip A. Defina, Ph.D., ABPdN
November 2002



In an issue of The International (Orton) Dyslexia Society's newsletter Perspectives, (1999 ?)
Dr. Jane Fell Greene was asked about the proper tests to use with dyslexic and learning disabled children.
The article recommended the following tests depending on age group.

For more detailed information on these test and other standardized tests, click here. 

Preschool and kindergarten:

•     Test of Phonological Awareness (TOPA)
•     Tests of Early Written Language (TEWL)
  
•     Test of Early Reading Ability (TERA)
  
•     Preschool Evaluation Scale (PES)
  
Primary years:
•     Test of Phonological Awareness (TOPA)
  
•     Test of Language Development (TOLD)
  
•     Peabody Individual Achievement Tests (PIAT)
  
•     Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT)
  
•     Test of Written Expression (TOWL)
  
•     Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT)
  
Older Elementary students:
•     Test of Language Development (TOLD)
•     Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT)
•     Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT)
•     Test of Written Expression (TOWL)
•     Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT)
Adolescent and adult:
•     Test of Adolescent and Adult Language (TOAL)
•     Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT)
•     Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT)
•     Test of Written Expression (TOWL)
•     Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT)

The Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude (DTLA) was recommended for all age levels.
Dr. Greene recommended using the Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude (DTLA) as a global test that primarily tests verbal and non verbal language. "It measures the level at which the individual would perform if appropriate interventions were implemented (as is required by federal law)." 

For more detailed information on these individual tests, please click here to visit our Type of Tests webpage.

	One of our original webpages, created September 10, 2002, by Melody Orfei Webpage last modified on February 10, 2008 - V10, by Melody Orfei
o.mel@verizon.net