ABSTRACT
The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children is most commonly used to measure overall intellectual ability. The Verbal IQ is derived from scores on subtests assessing verbal comprehension and working memory. Verbal comprehension is a measure of the child's ability to think, reason and problem-solve using language; working memory involves attention to spoken information and the ability to hold information 'online' in memory while processing it. A number of longitudinal research studies outline the potentially adverse effects of diabetes on verbal memory. Executive functioning deficits may go unnoticed until this time, and even then they may be attributed to immaturity or children may be described as 'late developers'. A comprehensive psychometric assessment gives a snapshot of intellectual ability at a point in time, but the information it provides can contribute to the identification of factors that support or constrain opportunities for learning and developing.
