A Suggested Use and Non-Use for the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test with the Retarded Child

Abstract

From a population of public school, educable, retarded children two groups, a high-perceiver and a low-perceiver group who were similar in CA, were selected using Frostig Test scores as the criteria. All Ss were administered the WISC and the PPVT. Results indicate significant differences between groups for mean WISC Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs and for PPVT IQs and MAs. From the point of view of the level of visual perceptual development, the PPVT is a satisfactory estimate of intellectual efficiency for retarded children whose visual perceptual development is appropriate for their MAs. However, the PPVT significantly overestimates the intellectual efficiency in retarded children with severe impairment in visual perceptual development.