📋 1988 Psychological Evaluation – Transcription & Images of Remaining Fragments

(Transcribed by Claude AI; Original Below)

Tara McNeely
Psych. Evaluation
DOT: 5/16/88

🧠 Cognitive Assessment Scores

Verbal Score – 130
Performance Score – 112
Full Scale Score – 124

🎯 Beery Visual-Motor Integration Test (BVMI):

Raw Score = 14
Age Equivalent = 7 years, 3 months

📊 Clinical Analysis

Overall, Tara is scoring within the superior range of intelligence, or within the ninety-fifth percentile. Her language assets are within the very superior range, or top ninety-eighth percentile, while her Performance score is within the high average range, or eightieth percentile. This young lady should be considered “potentially gifted”. This psychologist has never tested a 7 1/2 year old who has scored so well on the Intelligence tests.

In the language areas, all of Tara’s scores were above average. Her Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Information subtests were within the better than eighty-fourth percentile. Conceptually, her scores are equivalent to a 10 1/2 year old. Tara knew that the stomach digests and that America became independent from England. She was able to infer that both scissors and a copper pan are made of metal. Tara was able to do oral arithmetic problems that involved multiplication. She was able to define such words as “hazardous”, relating, “It’s bad for your health.” Relative to her scores, the only mild area of relative weakness was in Arithmetic. Possibly, Tara has difficulty consistently attending and concentrating on details.

In the nonlanguage areas, all of Tara’s scores were above average. However, relative to her Verbal skills, visual-motor and “hands-on” types of skills are not as well developed. Though certainly her Performance tests did not indicate a weakness, relative to her overall potential, she is far more capable in the language areas. Tara, however, had excellent fine motor skills, visual-perceptual skills, visual memory and the ability to infer whole-part relations. There is no evidence of any neurological or fine motor delays.

🎓 Achievement Testing

Jastak Wide Range Achievement Test – Revised (WRAT-R)

📝 Page 4 Analysis

On the WRAT-R, Tara’s scores were stellar. She is functioning on a mid third to beginning fifth grade equivalent. Relative to her peers, she is functioning within the top ninety-sixth percentile. Furthermore, her Standard Scores correlate in a positive manner with her overall I.Q. score. Despite reports that she is not functioning up to her potential in the classroom, there are indications that she certainly “knows” far more than the average 7 1/2 year old.

Tara did best on a test of decoding. She was able to correctly decode such words as “horizon”, “residence”, and “participate”. (The WRAT-R does not measure reading comprehension).

Tara also did very well on a test of spelling, scoring on a beginning fourth grade level. She could spell such words as “kitchen”, “surprise” and “grown”.

Once again, arithmetic was noted as an area of mild weakness. However, Tara was able to do addition and subtraction, and she was able to carry numbers. She was unsuccessful in doing division or multiplication.

🔍 Projective Testing

Tara functions with a high degree of anxiety. Tara’s nervousness is portrayed in terms of intellectualization, rationalization, and a need to get things done near perfectly. She is a constricted young lady who needs to maintain control at all times. It is Tara’s wish and conviction to do things as perfectly as possible in order to avoid retribution. Tara, therefore, tries to control as much of her life as possible in an effort to accomplish self-protection. Her anxiety seems to be a function of her experiences that unless she does things to a perfectionistic degree, there may be serious and bad repercussions. Tara’s anxiety, then, seems to be fear-motivated.

Tara can become distraught when things are not done perfectly. In one story, she related, “He’s thinking about playing the violin. He don’t know how to play it yet so he’s sad ’cause he don’t know how to play it. He’ll play it often, or…” Note in this story that Tara immediately feels overwhelmed and dysphoric that she cannot accomplish something difficult. However, not only will the hero in her story learn to play, but he will do so to an unparalleled level.

📖 Page 5 – Deeper Analysis

Probably the most consistent theme in Tara’s stories was fear of retaliation and harsh punishment for minor infractions. For instance, shown a picture of a woman who was crying, she related, “She’s going out the door crying, ’cause she didn’t do what was told and someone hit her. She’s sad. She was supposed to do her dishes and her homework…” Another time she related, “She’s crying. She wouldn’t go out and play. She was grounded. She’ll cry ’till she was 16. (Examiner asks why she was grounded). She didn’t do what was told…” Tara’s emphasis on the punishment and the severity of her dysphoria and emotional upheaval is unusual and gives insight into her sources of anxieties and great fears.

Tara verbalized another story that was one level regressed from her other themes. She spoke of a child who disobeyed her parents, only to die. In the following story, Tara’s feeling that she has to comply or there will be primitive, punitive repercussions is noted. Tara related, “There was a girl trying to run away from her mother. She runs and falls and falls into the sea. Her mother didn’t see her and found her dead. She drowned.” In this theme, the notion that, “they’ll miss me when I’m dead” is also noted.

In other relevant material, Tara made reference to males as being vampires. In this psychologist’s experience, when a youngster speaks about vampires, they are relating to people whose moods and emotions can change drastically and suddenly.

Overall, the Projective Testing notes Tara’s need for control, her high levels of anxiety, great fears, substantial dysphoria and precocious ego development.

📋 Summary

Tara is presently functioning within the superior range of intelligence. She is a young lady who should be considered “potentially gifted”. There are no learning disabilities or visual-motor difficulties. Her reading, writing, and arithmetic scores are all above grade level and indicate that she is working up to her potential. Emotionally, there are many difficulties. There is great fear, depression, need and struggle for control. Fear of punishment seems to be underlying her excessive anxiety and precocious ego development.

Tara might benefit from a small learning situation where she can be catered to on her level of superior intellect and achievement. A small classroom will also be able to help Tara feel that she is not threatened, and there will be no “retaliation” for her behavior or other fantasized or perceived inferiorities.

🏥 Page 6 – Final Assessment

More importantly, though, it is Tara’s mental health that is of concern. Tara will benefit from long-term psychotherapy with a talented therapist who has experience working with potentially gifted youngsters who have a high need for control. Specifically, sources of Tara’s anxieties and fears need to be addressed and verbalized, and possibly family intervention to address those sources of emotional upheaval needs to be accomplished. Though outwardly the “uninitiated” may be unaware of Tara’s “real” personality disposition, it is this psychologist’s opinion that Tara has substantial emotional difficulties and is at risk. Her great fears and consequent depression should not be underestimated.

Signed: Name Psy.D.; Licensed Psychologist