Investigation of verbal intelligence of blind children. Application of the Hungarian Wechsler Test for children

Intelligence testing, the measurement of the mental abilities of blind and seriously visually impaired children is an internationally unsolved problem. However the literature reports on several test adaptation experiments the most generally used test seems to be the Wechsler Test. In our paper we report on the investigation we held with the recently revised Hungarian Wechsler (the MAWGYI-R) verbal subtests applying the new standard and involving almost completely the total school age blind population at the period of the study. The experiences of the application, the characteristics of the verbal IQ measured via the new standard, showing a slight left side tendency, is reported. Further characteristics of the group are low scores in Comprehension and Information and high scores in Digit span and Vocabulary. Our results when compared with former results show similarities just as differences. The diverse achievements through the age range were not proved significant. Difference between the achievement of the subject groups born on time and prematurely born was not proved. We found significant effect of the visual ability and the family background on the VQ.