Factor analysis of the WISC–III with deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

Abstract

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III; D. Wechsler, 1991) was factor analyzed on a sample of 106 deaf and hard-of-hearing children, ages 6 to 16 years. Two factors emerged and were labeled language Comprehension (1) and Visual-Spatial Organization (v-s). There were no differences in Verbal, Performance, or Full Scale IQs between children attending mainstreamed vs. residential schools; children who were administered the test through an interpreter or by an examiner who used sign language or the oral-only directions; children whose communication mode was oral, American Sign Language (ASL), or signed English (SE); boys and girls; or children with moderate-to-severe or profound hearing impairments. Children with known etiologies of hearing loss (i.e., meningitis, perinatal complications, rubella, cytomegaloviral inclusion, or genetic anomalies) earned significantly lower Performance IQs and Object Assembly scores than children with unknown etiologies. Implications and future directions for the intellectual assessment of deaf and hard-of-hearing children are discussed.