CURING MENTAL-RETARDATION AND CAUSING LEARNING-DISABILITIES - CONSEQUENCES OF USING VARIOUS WISC-III IQS TO ESTIMATE APTITUDE OF HISPANIC STUDENTS

An ethnically stratified sample of 150 children referred to school stu dy teams (SSTs) were administered the WISC-III and WRAT-R and assigned by research criteria reflecting the State of California criteria as h aving mental retardation, a learning disability, or neither disability (ineligible). When the WISC-III IQs were compared, the Hispanic subje cts in the referred sample achieved PIQs that were on average 8 points higher than VIQ, a difference not found for White or Black groups. Us e of PIQ, rather than FSIQ, resulted in a dramatic reduction in the nu mber of Hispanic students qualifying as children with mental. retardat ion; however, use of PIQ also markedly increased the number of Hispani c students qualifying as children with a ''severe discrepancy'' as lea rning disabled. The actual school decisions reached on these children were contrasted to research criteria, revealing rather limited congrue nce with classifications based on either FSIQ or PIQ. Finally, multiva riate analyses revealed significant differences between ''stable'' (qu alifying under bath FSIQ and PIQ) cases of mental retardation, learnin g disabilities, and ineligible on achievement and deportment.