PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING OF LEARNING-DISABLED CHILDREN - RELATIONS BETWEEN WISC VERBAL IQ-PERFORMANCE IQ DISCREPANCIES AND PERSONALITY SUBTYPES

A total of 132 children with learning disabilities (LD) between the ages of 6 and 12 years were divided equally into 3 groups on the basis of the difference between WISC VIQ-PIQ scores (viz., VIQ > PIQ, VIQ = PIQ, and VIQ < PIQ). The mean Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) profiles for the VIQ = PIQ and VIQ < PIQ groups were normal; however, the VIQ > PIQ group showed pathological elevations on some PIC scales. Group average linkage cluster analysis using 10 PIC scales revealed 6 psychosocial subtypes. Within these subtypes, children with VIQ > PIQ were found at lower than expected frequencies in normal and mildly disturbed subtypes, but at higher than expected frequencies in seriously disturbed subtypes. These results support the notion that patterns of cognitive performance are related to patterns of psychosocial functioning in children with LD.