Exploring the Needs and Profiles of Gifted Children: An Analysis of WISC-R Results and Test Administrators' Recommendations

Year 2025, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 39 - 47, 21.03.2025

Ayşin Kaplan Sayı , Savaş Akgül , Nüket Afat

https://doi.org/10.35365/ctjpp.2025.1.05

Abstract

Gifted individuals play a significant and indispensable role in the development of any society. It is vital importance that gifted individuals are identified and provided with appropriate educational opportunities so that their capabilities can be channeled into productivity and their well-being is supported accordingly. Their education, however, bears certain challenges, including accurately determining and exploring their needs. In that sense, the current study was conducted to contribute to the literature and diagnosis process by analyzing Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (Wisc-R) profiles, commonly used in diagnosing gifted children and recommendations by test administrators. The current study employed a convergent parallel research design, one of the mixed methods approaches. Within the scope of the study, 99 gifted students’ WISC-R intelligence test results were analyzed. Descriptive statistics and dependent and independent t-tests were used in the quantitative part, while content analysis was used in the qualitative part. The quantitative findings indicate that gifted children’s intelligence scores show heterogeneous distribution; their performance scores are relatively higher than their verbal scores; and there is significant difference between their verbal scores and performance scores. The qualitative findings regarding test administrators’ reports are also documented under three main themes: children’s characteristics, information and recommendations for the family, and information and recommendations for the school.

Keywords

wisc-r,, gifted, administrator,

Project Number

1

Exploring the Needs and Profiles of Gifted Children: An Analysis of WISC-R Results and Test Administrators' Recommendations

Abstract

Gifted individuals play a significant and indispensable role in the development of any society. Since it has a vital importance that gifted individuals are identified and provided with appropriate educational opportunities so that their capabilities can be channeled into productivity and their wellbeing is supported accordingly. Their education, however, bears certain challenges, one of which is the accurate determination and exploration of their needs. The current study, in that sense, was conducted to contribute to the literature and diagnosis process by analyzing Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (Wisc-R) profiles, which are commonly used in diagnosing gifted children and recommendations by test administrators. Convergent parallel research design, one of the mixed methods approaches, was employed in the current study. Within the scope of the study, 99 gifted students’ WISC-R intelligence test results were analyzed. Descriptive statistics, dependent and independent t tests were used in the quantitative part while content analysis was used in the qualitative part. The quantitative findings indicate that gifted children’s intelligence scores show heterogeneous distribution; their performance scores are relatively higher than their verbal scores; and there is significant difference between their verbal scores and performance scores. The qualitative findings regarding test administrators’ reports are also documented under three main themes: children’s characteristics, information and recommendations for the family, and information and recommendations for the school.

Keywords

wisc-r;, gifted,, administrator

Project Number

1

References

• Ayraler Taner, H., Çetin, F. H., Işık, Y., & İşeri, E. (2015). Psychopathology in abused children and adolescents and related risk factors. Anatolian Journal of Psychiatr 16(4).
• Buzinkai, D. (2013). Cognitive and Academic Profiles of Gifted and Talented Children. (Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation). Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Department of School Psychology, Philadelphia.
• Clark, B. (2007). Growing up gifted.(7th edt.). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc De Lemos, M. M. (1994). Not so straightforward: Interpreting the scores. Evaluation & Research in Education, 8(1-2), 69-83. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500799409533355
• Kanaya, T. & Ceci SJ. (2018). Longitudinal IQ trends in children diagnosed with emotional disturbance: an analysis of historical data. Journal of Intelligence; 6(4):45. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence6040045
• Kaplan Sayı, A. (2018). Examining participants' views about an enrichment program for disadvantaged gifted and talented. Turkish Studies, 13(4), 749-770. DOI:: http://dx.doi.org/10.7827/TurkishStudies.1310
• Kaufman, A. S. (1976). Verbal performance IQ discrepancies on the WISC-R. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 44(5), 739-744.
• LaFrance, E. D. (1997). The gifted/dyslexic child: Characterizing and addressing strengths and weaknesses. Annals of Dyslexia, 47, 163-182.
• Nader, A. M., Jelenic, P., & Soulières, I., (2015). The discrepancy between WISC-III and WISC-IV cognitive profile in the autism spectrum: What does it reveal about autistic cognition? PloS one, 10 (12), e0144645. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0144645
• Özkardeş, O. G. (2013). Descriptive analysis of studies conducted on specific learning disabilities in Turkey. Boğaziçi University Journal of Education, 30(2), 123-153. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/buje/issue/14782/327987
• Poletti, M. (2016). WISC-IV intellectual profiles in Italian children with specific learning disorders and related reading, written expression, and mathematics impairments. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 49(3), 320–335. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219414555416
• Rogers, K. B. (2002). Grouping the gifted and talented: Questions and answers. Roeper Review, 24(3), 103-107. DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1080/02783190209554140
• Saccuzzo, D. P., Johnson, N. E., & Russell, G. (1992). Verbal versus performance IQs for gifted African-American, Caucasian, Filipino, and Hispanic children. Psychological Assessment, 4(2), 239–244. https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.4.2.239
• Sak, U. (2010). Gifted characteristics, diagnosis, education. Ankara: Maya Academy Publishing.
• Silver, S. J., & Clampit, M. K. (1990). WISC-R profiles of high ability children: interpretation of verbal-performance discrepancies. Gifted Child Quarterly, 34(2), 76–79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/001698629003400205
• Taddei, S., Contena, B., Caria, M., Venturini, E., & Venditti, F. (2011). Evaluation of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and specific learning disability on the WISC and Cognitive Assessment System (CAS). Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 29, 574-582. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.11.278
• Taşdemir, Ö. M., & Ergül, C. (2015). The giftedness profile analysis based on WISC-R in Ankara city sample. Journal of Special Education,16(3), 271.
• Toffalini, E., Pezzuti, L., & Cornoldi, C. (2017). Einstein and dyslexia: Is giftedness more frequent in children with a specific learning disorder than in typically developing children?. Intelligence, 62, 175-179.
• Uluç, S., Öktem, F., Erden, G., Gençöz, T., & Sezgin, N. (2011). Wechsler ıntelligence scale for children-IV: in a clinical context a new era for the evaluation of Turkey intelligence. Turkish Psychology Writings,14(28), 49.