Houston Baptist University

ESDP 5311
7015 Fondren
Houston, Texas 77040

Assessment Summary
Clients Name: Madison Glivens

Examiners Name: Lori Holloway/Amber Glivens

Grade: 3

Gender: Female

Date of Birth: 11/21/06

Date of Report: 11/15/15

Age: 8 years, 11 months

Test Behaviors:
The client exhibited behaviors that demonstrated that she was diligent in completing each
task. On time limit items, Madison used all of her time limit if items were challenging, and did
not give up before time was called. She was very attentive to feedback, and paid attention to the
clarifications if she missed certain items. Madison demonstrated strategies to assist her in
completing each task such as whispering body parts to herself before repeating them backwards
to the administrator, writing numbers on the table before repeating them, and studying the
images before recreating them using blocks. Madison became impatient during the end of the
second administration due to hunger. She was allowed a snack break for more momentum, but
after two subtests, she was mentally exhausted, and we scheduled another administration date.

Assessment Scores:
The Differential Ability Scales Second Edition (DAS-II) is a clinical assessment
instrument designed for assessing the cognitive abilities of children and adolescents from ages 2
years 6 months through 17 years 11 months. The DAS-II provides a composite score reflecting

conceptual and reasoning abilities. The primary purpose of DAS-II is to profile the childs
strengths and weaknesses in a wide range of cognitive abilities.
The DAS-II is comprised two tests in one: Early Years Battery, and School-Age Battery.
Madison is currently in the third grade, so we administered the School-Age Battery. The School
age Battery is comprised of six core subtests for children ages 3 years and six months through 17
years and six months to provide three cluster scores: Verbal Ability(Verbal Comprehension and
Naming Vocabulary), Reasoning Ability(Picture Similarities and Matrices), and Spatial
Ability(Pattern Construction and Copying). These scores contribute to estimating the childs
General Conceptual Ability (GCA).
Recall of Designs- The child produces an abstract line drawing that is presented for 5 seconds
and then removed.
Word definitions- The child is asked to tell the meaning of individual words.
Pattern of Construction- The child constructs a design by putting together flat squares or solid
blocks with black and yellow patterns on each side with timed and untimed options. Madison
was timed.
Matrices- Shown an incomplete matrix, the child selects from among four of six choices the
figure that correctly completes the matrix.
Verbal Similarities- The child describes how three things are similar or go together.
Sequential &Quantitative Reasoning- The child is shown a series of items, and then completes
the series by providing the missing figure.

An additional nine diagnostic subtests are given to measure aspects of memory,

processing speed, and foundational abilities for early school learning. Diagnostic subtests
should not be considered of lesser importance when describing a childs cognitive strengths and
weaknesses. The test are used to provide two diagnostic clusters: Working memory(Recall of
Sequential order and Recall of Digits Backward), and Processing Speed(Speed of Information,
Rapid Naming, Recall of Objects(immediate and delayed), Recall of Digits Forward, and
Recognition of Pictures).
Recall of Objects (immediate) - The child views a card with pictures of 20 objects for a
specified amount of time. After the card is moved, the child recalls as many objects as possible
for three trials.
Recall of Objects (delayed) - The child recalls as many objects as possible from the card with
pictures of 20 objects from the immediate test for a specified amount of time. The delayed trial
must be 15-20 minutes after the immediate subtest and no more than 30 minutes after.
Recall of Digits Forward- The child repeats a sequence of digits presented orally.
Recognition of Pictures- The child is shown a picture of one or more objects for 5 seconds. The
child then selects the previously viewed objects from a second picture that includes distractors.
Recall of Sequential Order- The child hears a list of parts of the body and is asked to order the
list from highest to lowest (head to toe).
Speed of Information Processing- The child scans rows of circles containing small boxes and
indicates which circles have the most boxes within a specified time limit.
Recall of Digits Backward- The child repeats backward a sequence of digits presented orally.

Phonological Processing- The child rhymes, blends, segments, identifies, and deletes syllables,
sounds and phonemes in words.
Rapid Naming- The child names colors, pictures, and colored pictures as quickly as possible.
The DAS-II uses various scores for analyzing and interpreting results. The conversion of
ability scores into standardized scores enables examiners to compare scores within DAS-II and
other measures. The use of age corrected T scores and standard scores allows the examiner to
compare each childs cognitive functioning with children of similar age. The norm-referenced
scores provides the most precise information, but can be difficult to use in isolation. Other
information such as percentiles, confidence intervals, descriptive classifications, and age
equivalents is often used in conjunction with standardized scores to describe the clients
performance.
In the area of the six core subtests, Madisons General Conceptual Ability (GCA) scores
range between a T score of 50 as the lowest in Verbal Similarities, and 69 as the highest Pattern
Construction, with a mean T score of 62. The Special Nonverbal composite (SNC) ranged from
64 at the lowest in the area of Sequential & Quantitative reasoning to 69 being the highest in the
area of pattern construction, with a mean T score of 67. Cluster scores in the areas of Verbal,
Nonverbal and Spatial reasoning ranged from a standard score of 102(Verb), 130(NV) and
137(Spat).
Diagnostic Subtests are divided into two clusters for Madisons age: Working Memory
and Processing Speed. In Working Memory, Madison scored a standard score of 97 in the 42
percentile equivalent with a confidence interval level (90%) between 92-102. In processing
Speed, Madison scored a standard score of 97 in the 42 percentile equivalent with a confidence

interval level (90%) between 90-104. She scored the highest in the area of phonological
processing, and the lowest in Recall of Objects (immediate).

Subtest
Core Subtest Scores
Verbal
Nonverbal Reasoning
Spatial
GCA
SNC
Diagnostic Subtests
Working Memory
Processing Speed

Standard Score

Percentile Rank

102
130
132
123
130

55
94
98
94
98

97
97

42
42

Our clients strengths in the core subtests were in the areas of Spatial Reasoning and
Nonverbal Reasoning, which fell in the 94th and 98 percentile. Her weakness fell in the area of
Verbal ability, which was in the 55th percentile. Although her weakness is in the area of Verbal
Ability, her age equivalent was 8 years and 10 months. In the diagnostic Subtests, Madison
scores were equal in the areas of Working Memory and Processing Speed, falling in the 42nd
percentile. All areas of the subtest ranged in the age equivalence from 6 years and one
month(Recognition of Pictures) to 13 years and 3 months(Phonological Processing).
Recommendations for InstructionMadison shows deficiencies in Working Memory and Processing Speed. To help improve
in the area of Working Memory, instruction will need to include teaching visualization skills,
playing card games, creating category games, and teaching her how to make emotional
connections to real world information. Processing Speed was also found to be deficient.

Providing outlines of lessons, simple written directions, visual aids, and using visual signals to
regain focus will need to be used during structured and unstructured classroom activities.