DIAGNOSTIC TESTS FOR SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY

In India, there is no one test used for the purpose of diagnosis. Different professionals use different battery of tests, the most common one being the Woodcock Johnson III - Tests of Achievement. Indian adaptations of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) III, WISC - IV India Edition and Binet-Kamat Test of Intelligence are the commonly used Intelligence Tests.

STANDARD ASSESSMENT BATTERY USED AT MDA

Depending on the age at the time of assessment, a battery of the following tests is used, ensuring that all the relevant areas are evaluated to arrive at a diagnosis.

  1. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition (Indian Adaptation) (WISC-IV) (6 years to 16 years 11 months) (Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory, Processing Speed)
  2. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Indian Adaptation by Dr Mahendrika Bhatt) (5 years to 15 years 11 months) (Verbal IQ, Performance IQ)
  3. Binet-Kamat Test of Intelligence (Mental Age 3 years to 23 years)
  4. Wechsler Adult Performance Intelligence Scale-PR Indian Adaptation (WAPIS-PR) (15 years to 44 years)
  5. Verbal Adult Intelligence Scale (VAIS) Indian Adaptation of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Verbal Scale (20 years to 69 years)
  6. Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test (BG) (Perceptual Age: 5 years to 10 years 11 months)
  7. Ann Arbor Learning Inventory (5 years to 14 years 11 months) (visual processing, auditory processing and visual-motor co-ordination skills)
  8. Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing – Second Edition (CTOPP-2) (4 years to 24 years)
  9. Gray Oral Reading Test – Fifth Edition (GORT-5) (6 years to 23 years 11 months)
  10. Word Identification and Spelling Test (WIST) (7 years to 18 years)
  11. Test of Written Language – Third Edition (TOWL-3) (7 years to 17 years 11 months) (spontaneous writing skills, vocabulary, spelling, style, logical sentences, sentence combining)
  12. Test of Written Language – Fourth Edition (TOWL-4) (9 years to 17 years 11 months) (spontaneous writing skills, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, logical sentences, sentence combining)
  13. Wide Range Achievement Test - Expanded (WRAT-Expanded) (5 years to 24 years 11 months) (reading comprehension)
  14. Wide Range Achievement Test - 3 (WRAT3) (5 years to 74 years 11 months) (reading, spelling)
  15. Woodcock Johnson III - Tests of Achievement (writing fluency, math fluency, calculation, applied problems, quantitative reasoning)
  16. Woodcock Johnson III - Tests of Cognitive Abilities (short-term memory, cognitive fluency, processing speed, working memory)

ASSESSMENT BATTERY AS PER THE EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICES GUIDELINES FOR ACCOMMODATIONS AT THE IGCSE, IB, SAT, LSAT, GMAT, GRE, IELTS, TOEFL EXAMINATIONS AND FOR ACCOMMODATIONS IN INTERNATIONAL COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES

  1. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition (Indian Adaptation) 
  2. Wechsler Adult Performance Intelligence Scale-PR Indian Adaptation 
  3. Verbal Adult Intelligence Scale - Indian Adaptation of Verbal Scale of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
  4. Woodcock Johnson III - Tests of Cognitive Abilities
  5. Woodcock Johnson III - Tests of Achievement
  6. Test of Written Language – Fourth Edition (TOWL-4)
  7. Nelson-Denny Reading Test                                                                                                     

Unfortunately, the assessment process in Mumbai is over-stretched and there may be a long waiting list. We appreciate that this can be very frustrating, but there is really nothing to replace a professional one-to-one assessment by a trained dyslexia professional in order to get a full and accurate picture of the nature of your child’s dyslexia.

CERTIFICATE OF DISABILITY / DIAGNOSTIC REPORT

To avail of the accommodations, students need to submit the certificate of disability or a diagnostic report, depending on the State and the Board conducting the examinations.

Maharashtra State – The State Board recognizes certification from the LD Clinics of the 3 Hospitals in Mumbai – Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, B.Y.L. Nair Hospital and KEM Hospital. Certificate from Sassoon Hospital, Pune, is also accepted.

Karnataka State - Candidates need to be certified from one of the following: National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore; St John’s Hospital, Bangalore; All-India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore; any psychiatrist working in a government hospital; any clinical psychologist with an M.Phil. and attested by a government doctor (not below the rank of a district surgeon), Malleswaram Dyslexia Association.

Tamil Nadu State - Psychiatrists from Government Hospitals can certify based on the assessment by a Clinical Psychologist as per the Tamil Nadu Government Order No. 47 Sl No. 1, issued on February 18, 1999.

Kerala State - Certificate from a psychiatrist – above rank of Asst. surgeon in any Govt. Hospital countersigned by the DEO or a Registered Clinical Psychologist.

State of Andhra Pradesh – Child Psychiatry Department, Niloufer Hospital, Hyderabad

Council For The Indian School Certificate Examinations - Recommendation sent by the Head of the School and on provision of the necessary documents and detailed diagnostic report by a competent authority approved by the State/Central Government and acceptable to the Council.

Central Board of Secondary Education - Certificate from a Municipal or Government Hospital.