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Paul Beljan, PsyD, ABPdN, ABN Justin Gardner, PsyD Dustin Howard, PsyD 9835 E. Bell Rd., Ste. 140 Scottsdale, AZ 85260 602-957-7600 [email protected] 10/6/2021 Beljan 602-957-7600
Paul Beljan, PsyD, ABPdN, ABN
Justin Gardner, PsyD
Dustin Howard, PsyD
9835 E. Bell Rd., Ste. 140
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
602-957-7600
10/6/2021 Beljan 602-957-7600
DISCLAIMER
Drs. Beljan, Gardner, and Howard have no
business affiliations and are not using this
presentation to sell any products
10/6/2021 Beljan 602-957-7600
Current and Coming Assessment,
Identification, and Intervention: Going
from the Model T to the Tesla
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TopicsGifted testing caveats with the WISC V
One swallow does not make a summer
Concepts in gifted behavior
Behavioral management to gifted children
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Gifted testing caveats with the WISC V Testing outside the box but within spirit
of the test.
DON’T BE ROBOTIC
Give space to think (Sem & Voc)
Slow responses do not mean slow thinking
Carefully do extra query on missed sample items
“What kinds of things did you consider but not say?”
Prompt for stop and think
WISC is not an impulsivity evaluation
Consider the spirit of the test vs child’s behavior.
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Gifted testing caveat with the WISC V
Full Scale IQ & GAI
We hardly ever get a valid profile
Speaks to how giftedness is not uniform
Variability means closely review for possible
deficits that may co-occur:
ADHD, Learning Disorder, Anxiety
Observe for effort and response preference
Child has to bomb EF to get a higher GAI10/6/2021 Beljan 602-957-7600
Gifted testing caveats with the WISC V
Subtest descriptions overstate what they say they measure.
What are you actually testing?
Causes low specificity – can you redefine for reports? Simplify -
I do
Child has to bomb EF to get a higher GAI
Muddy domains
Convoluted instructions
Gifted thinks may over think and obfuscate
Starts too easy = you lose the gifted kids
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Gifted testing caveats with the WISC V
VERBAL COMPREHENSION INDEX
Similarities is simply Semantic reasoning, but a
cornerstone linguistic ability
Scores at or below 25th percentile – start thinking
about language issues
Vocabulary is very influenced by reading and
environment
Scores significantly below Similarities – start
thinking about LD
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Gifted testing caveats with the WISC V
VERBAL
Comprehension is not a test of social acumen, but
certain responses suggest follow-up of such issues.
Ex. - Keep your foot on the neck
Consider points accrued: 1 vs 2 pt responses.
Consider simple vs robust language.
Extra early queries; within limits.
Information is simply Trivial Pursuit, and many
questions are out of date.
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Gifted testing caveats with the WISC V
Nonverbal: VSI – FRI – NVI
Does non-verbal really exist?
Lateralized vs Dual tiered?
Close observation and qualitative analysis for
testing behavior and solving choice.
Does the child prefer accuracy over speed and
vice versa?
Does the child take apart correct responses?10/6/2021 Beljan 602-957-7600
Gifted testing caveats with the WISC V
WMI
Muddy domain – Digits Forward is not WM
Uses incorrect terms regarding WM
Factor highest single raw score for Forward, Backward, Sequencing & Picture Span
Each digit = about a standard deviation
Qualitatively review response variability
Picture Span instruction for ‘in order’ is confusing
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Gifted testing caveats with the WISC V
WMI
Backwards is more difficult than Forward
Highest digit should reflect this
Backwards is more difficult than Sequencing
Highest digit should reflect this
Does the child use strategies?
Finger write on desk
Rehearsal forward before reporting in reverse or sequenced?
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Gifted testing caveats with the WISC V
PSI – Bow Wow!
Garbage- neuronal communication is blazing
fast and we measure it with a stopwatch.
Low PSI does not mean low PSI
How did the child get the score they earned?
Many gifted children hate paper and pencil
tasks and it may show re: lowering the score
Did the gifted child choose accuracy over speed
or vice-versa.
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Gifted testing caveats with the WISC V
QRI -
Figure Weights: great test but overly Index weighted
Balance, prepositions of math, ordinality, non-numerical
algebra
Level Scale means (=) Ex. - 5th to 91st percentile
Arithmetic – be careful with attention and language
It really is a WM test because the math is too easy.
You must:
Encode the Question
Translate English to Math Language
Choose the correct formula
Factor an answer10/6/2021 Beljan 602-957-7600
WISC-V and
Bilingual ChildrenDustin Howard, Psy.D.
Objective▪ Can the WISC-V be an appropriate measure
for Spanish-speaking bilingual children
whose secondary language is English?
Language Proficiency
Language Proficiency
Using language in real-world situations during
spontaneous interactions which are non-rehearsed.
•Speaking and understanding
Language Fluency
•Speak and write easily in a given language
Spanish-speakers may have same language but there
are difference linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
•Example of word in Mexico and Cuba.
Critical factors include (Elliot, 2012):
•Length of time in United States
•Family use of Spanish
•Parent ethnicity
Language Proficiency
Bilingual individuals can understand and/or express some concepts better in one language versus another.
Language Fluency can vary based on topic and context
Kopelman (2016)
Purpose was to determine most valid language to use with English language learners.
Once a student was at the Bridging and Reaching (sometimes Expanding) levels of English language proficiency, they received a similar score on both.
Students in the Proficient and Above Proficient levels of the Spanish proficiency measure, score was statistically significantly higher on the Spanish WISC-IV.
Language proficiency scores are useful to determine most valid language to assess student rather than demographic information.
Normative Data of Hispanic Sample –WISC-V
Contains chapter dedicated to assessment of the Hispanic
population
Assessment of Spanish-speakers
Normative samples include
culturally and linguistically
diverse individuals who were
judged by the examiner to
speak English well enough to
take the test (Wechsler, 2014)
Decision to assess a Spanish
speaking individual must be
made depending on language
spoken as a child, years of
school in English classroom,
language at home or work.
▪ Normative data found mean scores ranged from 94.2 to
98.3 with lowest being Verbal Comprehension and the
highest being Processing Speed.
▪ Why are mean scores less than 100?
▪ Suggested participants did not speak English well enough
▪ Bilingual research assistants carefully reviewed each
verbal item in order to identify and eliminate answers
Percentile Norms
▪ Example: VCI score of 85 would be at the 26th percentile
compared to other Hispanics whereas the norm table in
the manual show that a score of 85 is within the 16th
percentile compared to general population. This norm
provides a more culturally specific information to
supplement and interpret scores.
▪ Can help prevent overinterpretation of low VCI scores
but also, prevent very low verbal scores from being
ignored with the belief it is due to language variations.
Why are VCI mean scores lower?Factors contributing to lower performance:
Parental education
Achievement motivation
Weiss et al, 2006, asked parents basic
questions related to the role of educating the
family including how likely they believed it
was that their child will get good grades,
graduate high school and attend college.
Around 31% of the variance was explained
which is more than parent education and
income combined.
Can the WISC-V be used with
bilingual children?
▪ Yes, but a language proficiency measure should be
given to assure the child’s level of English proficiency.
▪ Using the norms listed in this manual provide for a
more accurate interpretation of scores.
Dustin Howard, PsyD
Bilingual Licensed Psychologist
Desierto Psychological, PLLC
480.238.6440
Gifted behavior origins
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Asynchronous Development
◼ A form of development in which there is greater variability in skill set expression.
◼ Some skills lag behind others that seem superior.
◼ The child may be frustrated with the skill sets that lag behind.
◼ Will the skill sets that lag behind eventually catch up?
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Asynchronous Development
◼ Typical skill sets that lag behind:
❑ Fine motor – writing, numbers, pencil grip…
❑ Gross motor – clumsiness, falls a lot, poor at sports…
❑ Language acumen over speech (articulation)
❑ Hyper-sensitive to stimuli does not mean SPD.
❑ Low frustration tolerance
❑ Pressured speech; racing thoughts.
❑ Cannot execute what the mind’s eye sees.
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Asynchronous Development
◼ The skill sets that are lagging depend on
frontal/higher cortical mediation over sub-cortical
processes.
◼ This is important to know, because it may be a
predisposing factor in why so many gifted children
are inadvertently misdiagnosed as ADHD.
◼ Ever see a checklist that asks if the child is brilliant?
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HOW THE BRAIN WORKS
Personality and
Behavior is Driven by
Cognition:
❑ All Brain Function is
Multiply Determined
▪ Koziol
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BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
◼ When an infant is born, the sub-cortical brain is
intact and ready to function.
❑ The frontal system slowly develops across time.
◼ With increased frontal control, one’s emotional and
sensory life and sub-cortical processes are mediated more
efficiently.
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ASYNCHRONOUS
DEVELOPMENT
◼ The lower parts of the infant brain are
autonomically functioning:❑ Faster
❑ More efficiently
❑ More flexibly
❑ More adaptively
❑ More sensitively
◼ The front of the brain that mediates the back of
the brain (think poker) cannot manage what is
coming forward from the sub-cortex.
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An Example: Frontal Mediation
◼ The poker analogy…
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ASYNCHRONOUS
DEVELOPMENT
◼ A gifted child has a Ferrari back of the brain…
…..but a Dune Buggy set of frontal lobes.
Behavioral Management in Home Schooling and Times of
COVID
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COVID at Home Bored
Irritable
Sleep px
Sad
Listless
Gaming hyper focus
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COVID and Homeschool On-line schooling pulls for many behavioral problems:
Seemingly inattentiveness
Cheating – turn in blank pages or corrupt files
Frustration
Opposition
Screen fatigue
Sneaky gaming/second screen/YouTube/social media
Clocking out
Difficulty following instructions
Difficulty completing work
Difficulty getting work turned in on-line
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Bxs with School and Home Children show us how they feel, they do not tell us.
A sad and frustrated child has never stated to parents:
“Ahem, today I am feeing a bit melancholy and morose.”
Behaviors that express melancholy and moroseness:
Arguing
Defiance
Rages
Crying
Indecision
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INTERVENTION
Brain Injury? Show it but don’t know it.
Caretaker Training
Name it to tame it. “You’re feeling…..”
Management Techniques
Soothing Techniques
Discipline
Assessment
Child Psychotherapy
Medication
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INTERVENTION Caretaker Training-they are the frontal
lobes Knowledge is key
This problem can be managed. Structure
Routine
Consistency
Accountability – Ex. Esq with Ipad child
Work with the teachers/tutors – closely. Treat them like a boss; bring solutions not problems.
They are overwhelmed- Don’t expect a large system to conform just for your child.
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INTERVENTION
Management Techniques – teach what works for you – Share It
The environment has to function as the frontal lobes to reduce the opportunity for failure
Plan ahead – Be mindful
Anticipate problems
Preview events
Pre-empt - Develop a bag of tricks
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MANAGEMENT
ROUTINE
CONSISTENCY
STRUCTURE
PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKES
ACCOUNTABILITY
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Paul’s Intervention Method: Based on Beljan’s early work with A/DRND and
ADHD in Chicago @ Children’s Research Triangle
PRIMING
PREVIEWING
PRE-EMPTING
DIS-ENGAGE
RE-ENGAGE/RECTIFY
Copywrite
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PRIMING Preparing a child:
for how you will intervene
with transitions
Prevents:
Child assumptions – egocentricity
Agitation
Affective dysregulation
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PREVIEWING Being in sync with the child: Paul Trad
Being able to determine what their next logical move or behavior will be.
Knowing what situations trigger increased affect/behavior.
Making allowances for behavioral wiggle-room.
Ex. - Learning to walk
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PRE-EMPTING
Determining when the child is perking.
Behavioral ‘Tells’ (Tin Men – drop the $5.00)
Determining when you must intervene.
Interrupting behavior before it passes the point of no return. Maintaining the limbic window of control.
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DISENGAGE Removing the child from a situation and engaging
them in an intervention.
Soothing/Speak to the affect
Breathing/Relaxation (4-7-8)
Distraction
Beans - copywrite
Sentences
Discussion
No secondary gains!
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RE-ENGAGE/RECTIFY
Returning the child back to the situation they were removed from.
They must rectify what they did to be removed in the first place.
As simple as picking up where we left off.
If they cannot rectify, then they likely need more time in disengagement.
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Discipline/ManagementDiscipline is more effective if administered
frequently and in small chunks, as opposed
to removing privileges or toys for excessive
periods of time.
Child Awareness vs. Insight: The drunk at
the bar
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Separate the Beans1. Combine uncooked Lima and Black beans
into a plastic container.
2. For minor behavioral infractions, have the
child separate the beans by color into two
Dixie cups.
3. When the cups are full, the discipline is
over and the child can return to her
activities or amend the behavior that
warranted the discipline in the first place.
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INTERVENTION
Discipline – say no to time out
But if you must….
1. Redirection with warning – Don’t do that, do this.
2. Non-compliance = beans
3. State exactly:✓ You are separating beans.
✓ When you are done;
✓ I will let you know what you can do next.
*No timers!!!
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Separate the Beans This intervention is a viable alternative to
traditional time out and can be administered numerous times during the day.
This form of discipline is inherently soothing within the realms of touch, sound, sight, and limiting extraneous stimuli.
Child persistence in the task indicates self control.
*privileges are suspended until the task is complete.
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INTERVENTION
Short and Frequent – without anger
Separate the beans
Sentences – just five
Do not give away leverage by removal of privileges over time
Do not punish yourself - disengage
Discipline does not have to happen immediately
Role play
Corral Training
I only do for those who show me respect. Lehman
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Sentences1. Sounds archaic but has the same process as
beans.
2. Dispense no more than 5 sentences.
3. Avoid power struggles in which she may challenge parents to give her more sentences.
Do not negotiate - egocentric
4. The sentence should include what she is not to do and what behavior would have been appropriate.
➢ Remember: Discipline teaches without anger; therefore, it does not damage self-esteem.
➢ Suspend privileges until the sentences are completed at a proficient level.
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Behavioral Contract
Write out the rules
Write out the consequences
Write out the rewards (usually technology)
Reset button with signature
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INTERVENTION
Soothing Techniques
Reduce External Stimulus
Indoor tent
Closet
Headphones
White noise
Deep hugs
Forced choice
Relaxation (parent initiated)
Hand massage
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COLLABORATION
Multi-modal approach starts with assessment
Parents
On-line teachers
Psychologist
Physician-pulmonology/sleep/rule out medical
issues first
Cognitive Rehabilitation
PT/OT
Speech/Language
Reading Specialist
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INTERVENTION
Medication – NOT WITHOUT A COMPLETE
EVALUATION & ONLY COMBINED
WITH TREATMENT
Stimulant
Often when a stimulant won’t work, another
stimulant will. (80% round I to 90% round II)
SSRI/Anti-anxiety Medications
Work best for the sub-cortically involved, severely
dysregulated child
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Technology Slides from Dr. Pete Dodzik’s 2021 ABPdN lecture
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Adaptive Technology Support Domains
Reading
Math
Writing
Attention
Executive Functions
Summary of Feedback
Click here to add your recommendations
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Writing – Long Hand E-Beam Technology
IRIS Notes-3 Pen
Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeK62e7dZpc
Website – www.irislink.com
Pros
Easy to use, writes on regular paper, one time purchase
Uses regular ink cartridges
Cons
FOB or pen can be lost (consider Velcro strips)
Associate software was discontinued
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Writing – Long Hand E-Beam Technology
Luidia
Website – www.luidia.com/smartpen/
Video – Luidia Smart
Pros
Can write on any surface (without paper)
Software is easy to use
Cons
Still in production phase
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Writing – Long Hand Microdot Paper Based
Livescribe
Website – www.livescribe.com
Video – Symphony Video
Pros
Camera in pen is accurate with most microdot paper
Application is really easy to use
Cons
Paper is expensive
Mixed review depending on use with phone/tablet and multiple steps to convert
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Writing – Long Hand Other Microdot/Whiteboards
Moleskin
Website: www.us.moleskin.com
Pros
Available in paper and whiteboard format
Cost
Cons
Software is not user friendly in cheaper models
Less kid friendly transfer methods
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Writing - Dictation Dragon
Website: www.nuance.com
Pros
Software improvements
Learns through file review, voice profiles
Cons
Cost heavy for younger kids, best with high quality mic
Embedded Software Apple dictate
Google dictate
Office 365 dictate
Grammarly – free version proofs docs, word choices, ESL
Website: www.Grammarly.com
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Reading Learning Ally
Website – www.learningally.com
Video – LA Demo
Pros
human read books geared to school
Reasonable annual fee
Bookshare
Website – www.bookshare.corg
Kurzweil
Website – www.kurzweiledu.com
Video – Amherst College Demo (I use this one because it explains everything quickly)
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Reading - Decoding Lexia
Website – www.lexialearning.com
Research – Publisher Link to Peer Reviewed Journals
Lexercise
International Dyslexia Association
Website - https://dyslexiaida.org/
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Reading - Comprehension Newsela (6.1 million students/800,00 teachers)
Website: www.Newsela.com
Pros
Curated content (present across different difficulty levels)
Comprehension questions and writing prompts
Text to speech
Cons
Limited outcome research for comprehension
More difficult text did not always lead to better knowledge acquisition
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Reading - Comprehension Learning A-Z
Website: www.learninga-z.com
Pros
Seamless curated content, wide content
Can be read or text-to-speech
Comprehension prompts
Cons
Raz Plus and Reading A-Z effects sizes are small (1-3% growth; ES = 0.083)
2019 –Empirical Education Report
Yeh Ho, 2018
Effect size – 0.14
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Math Spatial-Temporal Math (ST Math; 1.3m students/ 78K
teachers)
Website: www.mindresearch.org
Texas Study: Unpublish/Large Scale
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ST Math
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WestEd Study, 2014
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Questions???
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Citations Wechsler, David (2014). WISC-V Administration and Scoring Manual. Bloomington, MN.
NCS Pearson Inc.
Koziol, L. F., Beljan, P., Bree, K., et al. (2016). Large-Scale Brain Systems and
Neuropsychological Testing: An Effort to Move Forward. Switzerland: Springer
International Publishing.
Koziol, L. F., Barker, L. A., Joyce, A. W., & Hrin, S. (2014c). Large-scale brain systems and
subcortical relationships: The vertically organized brain. Applied Neuropsychology: Child,
3(4), 253-263. doi: 10.1080/21622965.2014.946804
Webb, J. & Beljan, P., et al. Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children and
Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger’s, Depression, and Other Disorders 2nd Edition.
Tucson, AZ: Great Potential Press, Inc.
Weiss, L., Muñoz, M., & Prifitera, A. (2016). Testing Hispanics with WISC-V and WISC-
IV Spanish. WISC-V Assessment and Interpretation Scientist–Practitioner Perspectives,
215-236.
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Citations Broderick, G. & Craddock, T. J. (2013). Systems biology of complex symptom
profiles: Capturing interactivity across behavior, brain and immune regulation.
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 29, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2012.09.008
Craddock, T., Fritsch, P., Rice, M., del Rosario, R., Miller, D. B., Fletcher, M. A.,
Klimas, N. G., & Broderick, G. (2014). A role for homeostatic drive in the
perpetuation of chronic illness: Gulf war illness and chronic fatigue syndrome.
PLOS One, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0084839
Tory Toole J. et al. (2018) Increasing Resilience to Traumatic Stress: Understanding the
Protective Role of Well-Being. In: Yan Q. (eds) Psychoneuroimmunology. Methods in
Molecular Biology, vol 1781. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-
1-4939-7828-1_6
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Paul Beljan, PsyD, ABPdN, ABNBELJAN PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES
9835 E. Bell Rd., Ste. 140
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
602-957-7600
10/6/2021 Beljan 602-957-7600
