Presented by: Flangan

Dr. Dawn Flanagan discusses a few studies on the “diagnostic accuracy” of the PSW method. A review of these studies led some to conclude that the diagnostic accuracy of PSW is no better than a coin flip. Others have reviewed the same studies and concluded that they are not studies of the diagnostic accuracy of PSW because there is no agreed-upon definition of SLD or gold standard for diagnosing SLD to which the PSW method can be compared. Instead, these studies point to the psychometric limitations of the measurement instruments used in diagnostic evaluations. Overlooked in these studies is that when the psychometric limitations of commonly used instruments are accounted for, the accuracy of decision-making about strengths and weaknesses improves substantially, making PSW a viable option for SLD identification. This presentation describes the most commonly used PSW method – the Dual Discrepancy/Consistency (DD/C) method – provides a concise, critical review of the PSW research, and offers a simple way for practitioners to improve the accuracy of the decisions they make regarding SLD status. A case example demonstrates the proper use of PSW in SLD identification.