K-ABC/WISC-R Relationships for Students Referred for Severe Learning Disabilities.

The study examined the relationship between performance on the K-ABC (Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children) and the WISC-R (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised) for 67 students being considered for placement in a private school in a midwestern metropolitan area that serves students with severe learning disabilities. All were referred for evaluation as a result of serious academic or academic/behavioral problems. Of the 67 students referred, 32 were identified as severely learning disabled (LD) and were accepted for placement in the school and 35 were not accepted but were diagnosed as emotionally disturbed, behaviorally disordered, educably mentally retarded, or were nonhandicapped. As a part of the diagnostic process all 67 were administered both the K-ABC and WISC-R in counterbalanced order. The correlational results of the study documented strong relationships among all of the global standard scores on both instruments. Individual performance patterns for the LD students showed a tendency for scores on the Simultaneous subtest to be greater than scores on the Sequential Processing and Performance IQ subtests which themselves tended to be higher than the Verbal IQ subtest scores. (CL)