THE PERFORMANCE OF PRESCHOOLERS WITH SPEECH LANGUAGE DISORDERS ON THE MCCARTHY-SCALES OF CHILDRENS ABILITIES

The McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) was used to evaluate the performance of preschool children with speech/language disorders. Preschoolers were screened first for normal intelligence using the Performance scale of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI). Preschoolers with speech/language disorders had significantly lower scores on all scales of the MSCA (Verbal, Perceptual/Performance, Quantitative, and Memory), except the Motor scale. They also had an average 20-point lower GCI than the control children. An analysis of the scores of the speech/language group on subtests revealed difficulty in short-term auditory memory skills but not in short-term visual memory skills. Deficits in categorical thinking skills and verbal expression skills were also evident. Characterization of learning disabilities in preschoolers with speech/language disorders is discussed.