ed psych report throws up learning difficulty

[worriedmum1]

Hi, just had an ed psych assessment which showed daughter is completely competent in all areas but has a 'working memory deficit'. She explained this is a very specific learning disability which affects short term memory recall eg the longer mental maths word problems and reading comprehension exercises. She is going to present it as such in her report and say it probably had an impact on d's score. We were initially shocked to hear about this but it also helps to explain some puzzling gaps in d's performance. Any experience of ed psych evaluations and their use in appeals, or the overall issue of learning disabilities and grammar school gratefully welcomed.

[Etienne]

Difficult to comment without knowing exactly what the test results were.

I would be looking to see:

• 1. whether there is a low or below average processing speed (standardised score of less than 90)
  2. whether there is more than 20 points difference between cognitive ability and performance (i.e. verbal and performance IQ)
  3. whether the working memory is sufficient for the child to be able to access the tests.

An appeal panel would probably expect to see not just competent but superior - or close to superior - cognitive scores.

[KB]

Not sure if this helps as we are in 'super selective' area so test and appeal system different. My children have similar SLD and it is not taken into account in so far as they have to do same test in same time as others & marks are not adjusted.
However some more general points:
all have done well at selective schools - eldest now at Cambridge.
but they have had to work harder than most of their peers - work takes longer
The have relatively slow processing speed which has entitled them to extra time in GCSE & A level exams so would be worth investigating in due course.
When you know which school your child is going to attend I would meet with appropriate staff to discuss issues. Small adjustments by staff can make life much less stressful for the children.
Best wishes

[worriedmum1]

Thanks for feedback and support - greatly appreciated!
Test was only today so these are summary results - working memory - 6th centile, processing speed 50th, verbal/nonverbal - 45th and 39th, Reading age 21mths ahead, numerical ability nearly 3 yrs ahead. Dd achieved 117 and 115 in 11+ but did not recieve a ranking due to perceived concentration problems

[Etienne]

The working memory is remarkably low.

Surprising that the verbal comprehension wasn't higher, bearing in mind the 11+ score.

Reading age and numerical ability look good.

Let's wait and see what the full report says.

[worriedmum1]

More results from ed psych testing - verbal and non verbal scores -45th and 39th percentile respectively and processing speed 50th - working memory 6th (ed psych tested twice to check and got same score). Other scores indicate 'average ability' - however there is considerable discrepancy between this and tested Maths (3 yrs ahead) and reading age scores. I think even Ed psych is puzzled. She is going to provide a very positive recommendation because she says dd demonstrates strong aptitude and attainment, particularly in Maths but also in English despite the problem with working memory. She will also point out that working memory can be improved a lot with the right help, leading to better all round academic performance. She says she has worked with several children in grammar schools and has no doubt that dd could cope although she will have to work harder than others without this problem. This is all completely new to me so ANY feedback is so gratefully accepted!