WISC-R Verbal-Performance IQ discrepancies: a comparison of learning disabled children to the normative sample

Compared the WISC-R Verbal-Performance IQ discrepancies of learning-disabled children (N = 100) and of the normative sample. There were frequent occurrences of statistically significant discrepancies in both groups, as well as similar mean discrepancy scores and distributions of Verbal greater than Performance and Performance greater than Verbal patterns. It was concluded that without clinical evidence to suggest otherwise, it cannot be assumed automatically that child's discrepancy score, unless of extreme magnitude, is related to the learning disability itself. The importance to clinicians of making both normative and statistical interpretations of WISC-R discrepancy scores was stressed.