Characteristics of children referred for evaluation of school difficultieswho have adequate academic achievement scores

Forty children (7 to 11 years old) referred for evaluation of learning prob lems, who had scores within the normal range on standardized measures of ac ademic achievement, were compared to 81 similarly referred children who had scored low (< 90) on at least one measure of academic achievement. We test ed the hypothesis that children with normal achievement scores who are refe rred for evaluation of learning problems show neuropsychological profiles c omparable to those of children with low achievement. Referral problems, sch ool history, IQ, academic achievement, and neuropsychological function were evaluated. Referred children with normal achievement scores came from more advantaged backgrounds and had less intensive academic interventions, high er IQs, and better decoding skills. Nonetheless, the two groups showed simi lar neuropsychological profiles. Vulnerability to complexity and decreased automaticity were prominent. Normal-range achievement test scores among chi ldren referred for evaluation should not be regarded as indicating absence of neurodevelopmental vulnerability.