Intellectual profile in school-aged children with borderline intellectual functioning.
Expect a flat WISC-IV profile with a working-memory dip when assessing school-aged kids with borderline IQ.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Pulina et al. (2019) gave the WISC-IV to school-aged kids with borderline intellectual functioning.
They compared every index score with typically developing classmates.
What they found
The BIF group scored lower on all four WISC-IV scales.
The biggest gap showed up in working memory.
How this fits with other research
Alloway (2010) saw the same dip using short visuo-spatial memory games.
Moss et al. (2009) found a similar verbal working-memory weakness in mild ID.
Vugs et al. (2013) meta-analysis links this pattern to kids with specific language impairment.
Together the papers say: expect a memory dip no matter the label—BIF, SLI, or mild ID.
Why it matters
When you test a child with borderline IQ, plan for low working-memory scores.
Write goals that cut memory load—shorter instructions, visual cues, frequent review.
If memory lags behind other scores, add memory drills or classroom accommodations instead of assuming lack of motivation.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Little is currently known about borderline intellectual functioning (BIF), a condition characterized by an intelligence quotient between one and two standard deviations below the average, that affects about 14% of the population. AIMS: The present study aimed to analyze the intellectual profile of school-aged children with BIF. METHOD AND PROCEDURE: The WISC-IV was administered to 204 children with BIF attending Italian primary and lower secondary school, and their profile was compared with that of a control group of typically developing (TD) children. RESULTS: The WISC-IV profile of the children with BIF differed from that of the TD children, and the former's performance was worse than the latter's in all the measures considered. The children with BIF also showed significant differences between the four main factor indices, scoring lowest for working memory, while the TD control group's profile was flat (as expected on the grounds of standardization criteria). No differences were found between the profiles of children with versus without a comorbid neurodevelopmental disorder. DISCUSSION: Our results support the hypothesis that individuals with BIF have a characteristic profile with specific weaknesses.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2019 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2019.103498