Use of the WJ IV in School Neuropsychological Assessments

The three core Woodcock-Johnson® IV (WJ IV™) (Schrank, McGrew, & Mather, 2014) batteries (Tests of Cognitive Abilities [WJ IV COG], Tests of Oral Language [WJ IV OL], and Tests of Achievement [WJ IV ACH]) are useful baseline measures for a school/ pediatric neuropsychological evaluation (Miller, 2013; Miller, McGill, & Bauman Johnson, in press).

Richard W. Woodcock originally developed the Woodcock-Johnson Revised (WJ-R: Woodcock & Johnson, 1989) with neuropsychological assessment in mind.

In 2013, Miller updated his school neuropsychological conceptual model by providing additional integration between neuropsychological constructs and CHC theory. Miller’s revised model is now referred to as the Integrated School Neuropsychological/ Cattell-HornCarroll (Integrated SNP/CHC) Model. The model:

1. 1. Provides an organizational framework for interpreting assessment data
   2. Strengthens the linkage between assessment and evidencebased interventions
   3. Offers a common frame of reference for evaluating the effects of neurodevelopmental disorders on neurocognitive processes (Miller, 2013).

Table 1 presents the WJ tests classified into the Integrated SNP/CHC Model. While the WJ IV batteries cover a comprehensive representation of the broad and narrow neurocognitive processes and skills as outlined in the Integrated SNP/CHC Model (Miller, 2013), administering only those tests does not constitute a comprehensive neuropsychological
assessment. The WJ typically serves as baseline testing for a more comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. Hypotheses about an examinee’s strengths and weaknesses are generated based on the WJ tests results and then the clinician chooses additional crossbattery assessments to validate or refute those hypotheses.

Compared to all of the other major co-normed tests of cognitive abilities and academic
achievement, the WJ IV provides the most coverage across the classifications defined by the Integrated SNP/CHC Model (Miller et al., in press).