Expanding the ecological validity of WAIS-IV and WMS-IV with the Texas functional living scale

Assessment of functional status is an important aspect of clinical evaluation. As part of the standardization of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) and Wechsler Memory Scale-Fourth Edition (WMS-IV), participants completed the Texas Functional Living Scale (TFLS), a measure of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. The relationships between TFLS and WAIS-IV and WMS-IV were examined in both normally developing and clinical samples. In general, the highest correlations were between TFLS and measures of general cognitive ability (WAIS-IV FSIQ [Full Scale IQ] and GAI [General Ability Index]) and working memory (WAIS-IV WMI [Working Memory Index] and WMS-IV VWMI [Visual Working Memory Index]). Across the clinical populations, working memory subtests were generally strongly related to TFLS performance, although this relationship was more consistent with WAIS-IV than WMS-IV. Contrast scaled scores are presented for the TFLS based on WAIS-IV or WMS-IV performance. These scores allow the evaluation of functional abilities within the context of cognitive and memory ability, enhancing and expanding the utility of the WAIS-IV and WMS-IV.