I am in shock by his 'above average' digit span and his 'superior' workling memory. Well, it seems our sons are back in line with each other again b/c my son's didgit span test was high average on his most recent WISC IV (I posted my original post on this thread before DS was last evaluated). I usually find your son right in line with mine so I find this difference curious and wonder what is the functional difference between them that creates that variance. (His working memory is only a tad over one SD below his VCI.) This despite his very clear ADHD profile and diagnosis as well as his Dyspraxia. My son is 'high avg' for digit span which is low comparatively but miles above both our PSI subtests. #171435 - 10/16/13 06:19 AM Re: interpret low digit span score on WISC IV I do remember at 6 DS could usually do 3 numbers backwards but he did struggle with 4 backwards. When he was last evaluated it came up as superior on the WISC IV but I just realized I do not know the breakdown of how he did on numbers reversed and forward. My DS's WM is superior now so I am really befuddled. it seems difficult to find info on the digit span test and the different cognitive processes involved and what the test means. Are 6 year olds expected to easily repeat 4 numbers backwards?

He was extremely whipped up during testing though and I'm not sure how accurate the results are. I think DS (who is dyspraxic and possibly ADHD as well) can easily do 4 digits backwards but his digit span score was only average on the WISC which is why I'm wondering what is normal (he is 6 years old). Now a few years later it is more like 5 (although I haven't tried it in a while). However, I remember when she was 3-4 years old she was able to repeat 4 numbers backwards. I am very worried about her working memory and processing speed. DD is ADHD and SLOW like a slug in school. What is a normal digit span going backwards? I guess I have no idea. Low digit span can indicate ADHD but, particularly in cases where the child struggles with the backwards digits, it is part of the profile of a dysraxic child as well. According to the book, digits forward and digit backwards may involve different cognitive processes, especially in certain clinical groups and that studies show that the performance of dyspraxic youngsters highlights significant weakness in repeating the digits backwards. I am just reading a book called 'Understanding Developmental Dyspraxia - A textbook for Students and Professionals' by Madeline Portwood. Well, I started researching DCD/dyspraxia. (And I fear that the jump to ADHD is so easy and will prevent the 'true' problem from being addressed.) Recently, my son was formally diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos and the geneticist said Developmental Coordination Disorder (a/k/a dyspraxia) is very often co-morbid. I believe there is a problem, but I just simply do not see adhd in him. I really do not feel in my gut like my son has ADHD. I searched high and low for reasons for this and all I ever heard was it is a sign of ADHD. Why? Because he was almost incapable of doing the digit span backwards. However, his overall digit span score was still quite low. When I looked more closely at his scores, it was clear that the forward digit span was fine the first time he tested and quite high the second time he tested (first time on WISC, second time a year later with SB-V). My son had/has an exceeding low digit span score. Just wanted to add some new (to me anyway!) information regarding low digit span to this thread for those researching.

Backward digit span subtest