Comparison of two nonverbal intelligence tests among children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing

• There are no significant differences in average scores between the Leiter-R and DAS-II.
• ∼25% of children had meaningful intra-individual differences (>1SD) in assessments.
• Differences in cognitive ability classification did occur in a subset.
• Hearing loss severity did not contribute to IQ scores on scores or score differences.
• Verbal IQ tests are often auditorily administered highlighting importance of nonverbal tests.

The primary goal of the current study is to evaluate the concurrent validity of the Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised (Leiter-R Brief IQ) and Differential Ability Scales – Second Edition (DAS-II Nonverbal Reasoning Index) in a group of children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Knowing the breadth of cognitive tools appropriate for use in children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing is highly beneficial, given that clinical and school psychologists are often challenged to reliably assess cognitive functions in the context of hearing loss. Participants included 54 children between three and six years of age with permanent bilateral hearing loss. As part of the study, neurocognitive assessments were conducted by a pediatric neuropsychologist or licensed clinical psychologist with extensive experience administering assessments to children with developmental disabilities, including children with hearing loss. The Leiter-R Brief IQ score was similar to the DAS-II nonverbal reasoning index, with no significant difference in the mean scores across the two assessments. The severity of hearing loss was not correlated to either the Leiter-R or the DAS-II nonverbal IQ. Nearly a quarter of the children evaluated had meaningful intra-individual differences between scores on the Leiter-R and DAS-II that were more than one standard deviation from one another. Conducting accurate intellectual assessments in children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing is fundamental in determining and designing interventions and educational services. More comprehensive neuropsychological test batteries utilizing several tasks to assess a single domain (such as nonverbal reasoning) may be warranted for children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.