A Comparison of the Leiter-R and the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT) with Children Classified as Language Impaired

Abstract

The Leiter-R and the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT) were administered in counterbalanced order to 43 children (12 females, 31 males) who were classified as severely language disordered (mean age = 8.55, SD = 1.78). All standard scores were depressed and ranged from 65.07 (Leiter Fluid Reasoning Composite) to 70.00 (UNIT Symbolic Memory), suggesting global cognitive deficits that extend beyond language. Correlations and t-test analyses compared similar scores. The correlations were significant (i.e., Leiter-R Visualization and Reasoning Battery Full Scale IQ/UNIT Full Scale IQ= .80, Leiter-R Fluid Reasoning Subscale/UNIT Reasoning Subscale = .66); t-test computations were nonsignificant. Given the critical language deficiencies of this population, it was concluded that either battery provided a nonbiased assessment of cognitive abilities. Qualitative strengths and weaknesses of both tests were discussed.