Step 3
Testing - Do you have the skills needed to learn?
You may have taken achievement tests. These tests measure
how well a person is doing in an academic subject.
Intelligence (mental skills/cognition) tests measure the
underlying learning skills the person has. Unfortunately,
these test results are very often misinterpreted. If you have
been tested in the past or labeled as LD or dyslexic, please
click here
for a short but important discussion of these test results.
Most intelligence/cognition tests look at all of these mental
skills in our model and although most give a total "IQ"
score, we are far more interested in the individual test scores
of the different mental abilities that are being tested.
The 'IQ" score is just an average of the separate mental
skills being evaluated. It tells us nothing about the
individual strengths and weaknesses of the underlying skills
that would be important for reading, math calculations, comprehension,
or geometry etc.
But, by analyzing the individual
test scores and comparing them with your achievement levels
in different subject areas, we can determine a cause and effect
relationship between the underlying mental skills required
and the achievement area affected.
For example, poor sound blending, segmenting, and analysis
(the CAUSE) will result in difficulty in reading and spelling
(the EFFECT). When these underlying skills are developed,
reading and spelling will improve.
After testing has confirmed or pinpointed the underlying
cause of a learning problem, the next step is to institute
a program to correct the deficient learning skill.
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