Discriminant and predictive validity of the WISC-III ACID profile among children with learning disabilities

Abstract

Clinical interpretation of subtest score profiles on intelligence tests is a common practice. The ACID profile found on Wechsler's scales has been widely accepted as a clinical indicator which has both diagnostic and treatment implications. However, this practice has been based on clinical rather than empirical evidence. This study examines the discriminant and predictive validity of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) ACID profile among 612 students with learning disabilities. Analyses included diagnostic utility statistics (sensitivity, selectivity, etc.) and ROC methods as well as correlational and descriptive statistics. Results indicated that the ACID profile does not efficiently separate children with disabilities from those without disabilities, and further, there is no ACID cutting score which significantly exceeds chance discriminatory power. Likewise, the ACID profile did not robustly predict academic achievement among children with learning disabilities. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.