1. Milton J. Dehn, Ed.D., NCSP Schoolhouse Educational Services June 2014
How to Identify Neuropsychological Processing Deficits in Children with SLD
Milton J. Dehn, Ed.D., NCSP
Schoolhouse Educational Services
June 2014

2. Notice of Copyright 2014
This PowerPoint presentation and accompanying materials are copyrighted by Milton J. Dehn and Schoolhouse Educational Services, LLC. They are not to be reprinted, copied, or electronically disseminated without written permission. To obtain permission,

3. Workshop Information Sources
Essentials of Processing Assessment, 2nd Ed.
Children’s Psychological Processes Scale (CPPS)
Psychological Processing Analyzer (PPA)
Numerous references and articles on processing assessment and interventions
Presenter Contact:

5. What are Neuropsychological Processes?
Brain processes, operations, functions
Include “cognitive” processes
When information is perceived, transformed, manipulated, stored, retrieved, expressed
Whenever we think, reason, problem-solve
Both basic and higher level processes
For SLD assessment, focus on broad processes related to academics

6. Neuropsychological Processes are Not
Not IQ, but they contribute to IQ
Not “abilities”, but are more the specific brain processes that underlie abilities
More like aptitudes than abilities; aptitudes are more specific, abilities are more general
Not skills; skills and knowledge are the product of processes
Dehn: not include sensory, motor, social-emotional when conducting SLD assessment

7. Processes for SLD Assessment
Attention
Auditory Processing
Executive Functions
Fine Motor
Fluid Reasoning
Long-Term Recall
Oral Language
Phonological Processing
Processing Speed
Visual-Spatial Processing
Working Memory (WM)

8. Processes and Academic Learning
Psychological processes are like “aptitudes”
Relations established through research
Flanagan et al., & McGrew
Swanson, Geary, and others
The influence of processes varies by age
For SLD look for academic area and related psychological processes to both be low
See Table

9. Processes and Scores Allowed in Dehn’s Assessment Model
The list of 11 processes
Rating scales
Composite scores preferred over subtest scores
Achievement-like scores such as verbal, crystallized intelligence, vocabulary are excluded
Some subtests are re-classified

10. Task Analysis/Classification of Subtests
Consider definition of the process
Consider factor analytic information
What is the primary process being measured by the subtest? (not just input or output)
Which primary process allows the examinee to successfully complete the task
What the task is typically used to measure
No such thing as “pure” subtest measure

11. Selective & Cross-Battery Testing
Start with batteries you have
Try to limit number of supplemental batteries
Avoid redundancies
Tests should be normed about the same time
Only selected subtests administered
Two subtests or composites are ideal
May include rating scales
Use cross-battery analysis procedures

12. Cross-Battery, Selective Testing
Test all processes important for academics with most attention to an in-depth assessment of hypothesized weaknesses
Pick composites first
See selective testing table Link
See comprehensive list link from Essentials of Processing Assessment, 2nd Edition

13. Dehn’s PSW Requirements
Intra-individual weaknesses are statistically significant
At least one process is a deficit (see definition)
The deficit is related to the deficient academic skill
Subtest scores must be unitary for a deficit
There is at least one strength (a processes that is in average range)
Consistency between low process score(s) and the related low academic skill score

14. Guidelines for Weaknesses & Deficits
Scores below 90 are normative weaknesses
Intra-individual strengths & weaknesses use 12 points
Assumes composites/subtests have hi reliability
Deficit = both normative and intra-individual weakness

15. Dehn’s Definition of Deficit
3 reasons for deficit emphasis
Both weaknesses together is statistically rare
A deficit indicates an underlying neurological impairment
Students with both kinds of weaknesses really need special ed.

16. When to Use IQ Instead of Cross-Battery Mean
Okay to use IQ as predictor because it has high correlations with most processes
Is technically more appropriate because it has known reliability and SEM
Use when only weak processes tested
Use when only a few processes tested
Use when a legal challenge is anticipated

17. Processing Analysis Worksheet
Composite scores from test manual when possible
Convert all scores to standard scores
Compute clinical scores by averaging
Compute processing mean or use IQ
Calculate discrepancies
Determine weaknesses and deficits
Both kinds of weaknesses = a deficit
Do pairwise comparisons
Opposites and those closely related
Completed Example

18. Pairwise Comparisons For intervention planning, not diagnosis
Pay most attention to:
Opposites
Those that are closely related
A greater discrepancy is required for significance
Significant when confidence intervals do not overlap

19. Non-Unitary Scores
When standard score difference is greater than 22 points (or 15 points)
Something different is being measured or something is different about the subtest task
Investigate further with more testing if cannot be explained

20. Using Dehn’s Automated Analysis Worksheet to Determine PSW
Automated worksheet from Essentials of Processing, 2nd Edition

21. Psychological Processing Analyzer 2.0
Available at
Identifies statistically significant strengths, weaknesses, deficits, and assets
Can enter composite and/or subtest scores
11 psychological processes
Takes scores (almost 400 to choose from) from more than 40 different scales: cognitive, achievement, rating, and processing

22. Psychological Processing Analyzer
Some subtests are re-classified based on the primary demands of the task
Options: Use the mean of the process scores or IQ as predicted score
Differences greater than critical values are intra-individual weaknesses

23. PPA Equations Converts all scores to mean of 100; SD of 15
.01 or .05 level of significance
Difference formulas based on reliability coefficients of composites/subtests
Regression toward the mean
Predicted score based on mean of other 10
Non-unitary scores are flagged

24. PPA Demo and Report See demo See sample report
Report has table, graph, and narrative
Pairwise comparisons also provided
Identifies academic areas associated with the identified deficits

25. Using a Rating Scale to Assess Processes
Processing deficits are manifested through behaviors
Behavior ratings by teachers can be used to measure processing abilities
Examples: BRIEF and other Executive Function Scales
Also, the new CPPS
Use the CPPS for processes not directly tested

26. Children’s Psychological Processes Scale (CPPS) Overview
Standardized teacher rating scale
Ages to
121 items across 11 subscales
Entirely online, internet-web based
Online administration time of 15 minutes
Online scoring and report
Author: Milton Dehn; published by Schoolhouse Educational Services, 2012
Measurement Consultant: Kevin McGrew

27. Main Purpose of the CPPS
To identify psychological (cognitive) processing weaknesses in children referred for a learning disability evaluation
An additional source of data for diagnostic purposes
Can be used as a Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses (PSW) analysis
Covers processes not directly tested

28. The CPPS Identifies Children with SLD
LD subjects had significantly higher means on all subscales; about 1.5 SD difference Link
The CPPS has high classification accuracy in regards to LD
37 LD subjects compared with matched controls
Using CPPS GPA cutoff of 60 had 92% classification accuracy across 74 subjects

29. CPPS Standardization 1,121 students rated by 278 teachers
128 communities in 30 states in U.S.
All data collected online
Demographics match U.S. Census well
Norms: 4 age groups (5-6; 7-8; 9-10; 11-12)
Included children with disabilities

30. CPPS Processes Attention Auditory Processing Executive Functions
Fine Motor
Fluid Reasoning
Long-Term Recall
Oral Language
Phonological Processing
Processing Speed
Visual-Spatial Processing
Working Memory (WM)

31. CPPS General Processing Ability (GPA)
Based on average of all process scores
Emerges from factor analysis; similar to concept of general intelligence
Processes function in an inter-related fashion
Most processes contribute to any given behavior, task
On CPPS defined as “the underlying efficiency of processing”

32. Additional CPPS Factors
Second factor is Attention, EF, and WM: Self-Regulatory Processes (SRP)
Third factor is Fine Motor and Visual-Spatial: Visual-Motor processes
Clusters: Memory, Language
WM loads higher on GPA than SRP: WM is both a cognitive and an executive process because it includes STM and WM

33. How the Web-Based CPPS Works
A psychologist side and a teacher side
Psychologist manages & has student records
Teachers can only access blank rating forms
Once teacher has completed ratings, completed form goes to psychologist’s side and teacher can no longer access

34. Completing Teacher Rating Form
Takes approximately 15 minutes
Responses: Never, Sometimes, Often, Almost Always
Must respond to all items
Incomplete ratings will save and can be completed later
Free paper copies can be printed. Psychologist then fills in ratings online.

35. CPPS Items What the teacher rater sees Link
Regrouped by subscale after rating
In developmental order (ability) from lowest to highest item
Example of scoring in developmental sequence Link

36. CPPS Report Brief narrative, graph, and a table of scores
Change-sensitive W-scores
T-scores; percentiles; confidence intervals
Intra-individual strengths and weakness discrepancy table
T-score to standard score converter
Example

37. CPPS Discrepancy Analysis
Use discrepancy table to determine pattern of strengths and weaknesses
Predicted score based on mean of other 10
Regression toward the mean included
+/ to 2.00 SD of SEE discrepancy options
Strengths and Weakness labeling is opposite of discrepancy, e.g. “-” value = a strength
Link

38. T-Score Conversion Table
Optional
Purpose: To see how consistent CPPS scores are with achievement and cognitive scores
T-score x and then reverse distance from mean
Example: T-score of 60 x 1.5 = = 115
Then subtract 15 from 100 = 85 Example

39. Diagnosing LD with the CPPS
Look for pattern of strengths and weaknesses (discrepancy table)
Weaknesses should also be normative weaknesses (T-scores above 60)
Look at Table to identify “deficits”
Weaknesses should link to evidence-based achievement relations
Same criteria as PSW model

40. CPPS Reliability
Internal consistency subscale reliability ranges from .88 to .98
.99 on Total Score
Inter-rater reliability
Range of .21 to .90
Median coefficient of 76.5

41. Correlations with Achievement
High correlations with WJ III Achievement Test scores Link
The broader the achievement score, the higher the correlations

42. Correlations with WJ III COG
Fewer correlations than achievement Link
All CPPS processes have significant correlations with Cognitive Fluency (ability to quickly and fluently perform cognitive tasks)
Most CPPS scales expected to link with WJ III COG tests do, except attention, processing speed, and WM (but does relate with STM)
Also, discriminant evidence

43. CPPS Correlations with BRIEF
CPPS Attention, Executive Functions, and Working Memory (SRP Factor) have the highest correlations with all BRIEF scales
CPPS Attention and EF mostly are >.70 indicating they measure same domains as BRIEF Link
Other CPPS scales correlate with BRIEF metacognitive scales but not behavioral

44. Questions