Download One of the erroneous beliefs is that poor performance at school is always linked to an intellectual deficit, instead there is a large category of intelligent children/teens who suddenly encounter a barrier compared to their peers: what is simple for others is complicated for them.
On the basis of the literature and taking into consideration the studies that relate the WISC-IV to Specific Learning Disorders, with this thesis contribution we aimed to observe the cognitive profiles outlined by the WISC-IV scale in a reference sample extracted from the patients of the SOS Dyslexia center of Casalecchio di Reno (BO).
Specifically, we focused on the observation of the values of the specific IRP, IML and IVE indices (whose discrepancy can provide us with information on the basic cognitive processes of DSA) in a clinical sample with well-defined diagnoses; distinguishing the subtypes in the cases of DSA diagnosis based on the scholastic difficulties identified in the diagnostic process. We tried to understand, through the observation of the trend of these indices, whether it was possible to identify profiles that may be typical for subjects with DSA by formulating hypotheses on any prevalent profiles in the selected sample, in particular looking at the relationship between non-verbal logical functions, working memory and processing speed.
We believe the WISC-IV can provide useful indicators both for prevention and for accurately assessing the intelligence of children and adolescents with learning disabilities. This allows us to highlight their strengths and weaknesses and structure an appropriate support program for both the child and their parents, emphasizing that a learning disability diagnosis is not associated with poor intellectual ability. It also provides important guidance on further diagnostic investigations and suggests tools that can be recommended to the individual, the family, and the school. This would allow us to jointly establish the main treatment targets, combining them with those related to the specificity of the individual disorder.