Differential Ability ScalesSecond Edition

Taylor Chaness
Chalese Perry

What is the DASII

The Differential Ability Scales-Second Edition
test is:
an individually administered clinical
instrument consisting of 20 subtests
a test of intellectual functioning
used to test the general thinking and
reasoning skills of students from ages 2
years, 6 months through 17 years, 11
months

Why Do We Use
It?

We can use the DAS-II for both

classification and diagnostic purposes
Classification: The composite score can be

used to make placement decisions

Diagnostic: Obtaining the cognitive strengths
and weaknesses from the test can help
determine why a child is struggling to learn
to read and what methods we can use to
improve the students learning

Abilities
Measured

Verbal intelligence
Fluid intelligence/reasoning
Visual-spatial processing
Long-term storage and retrieval
Cognitive processing speed
Short-term memory
Auditory processing

Tests for Early Years (2:63:5)

Core Subtests

Verbal Ability

Nonverbal Ability

Verbal Comprehension - Picture Similarities

- Naming Vocabulary
- Pattern Construction

Diagnostic Subtests
Recall of Digits Forward
Recognition of Pictures
Early Number Concepts

Tests for Early Years (3:6-6:11)

Core Subtests

Verbal Ability
Verbal Comprehension, Naming Vocabulary
Nonverbal Reasoning Ability
Picture Similarities, Matrices
Spatial Ability
Pattern Construction, Copying

Diagnostic Subtests

School Readiness
Early Number Concepts, Matching Letter-Like Forms,
Phonological Processing
Working Memory
Recall of Sequential Order, Recall of Digits Backward
Processing Speed
Speed of Information Processing, Rapid Naming

Tests for School-Age (7:017:11)

Core Subtests

Verbal Ability
Word Definitions, Verbal Similarities
Nonverbal Reasoning Ability
Matrices, Sequential and Quantitative Reasoning
Spatial Ability
Recall of Designs, Pattern Construction

Diagnostic Subtests

Working Memory
Recall of Sequential Order, Recall of Digits Backward
Processing Speed
Speed of Information Processing, Rapid Naming

DAS-II Test Scoring

The scoring consists of verbal, non-verbal, and
spatial cluster scores, along with a composite
score called the General Conceptual Ability.
The GCA is determined by cluster scores
(verbal, non-verbal, and spatial). They have a
mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15.
*Scores between 90 and 109 indicate average
ability

Test Questions
This is a sample of a
question from the
Matrices subtest. The
student is required to find
the shape that best fits
the pattern in the boxes.

Ready to Try it?!

Which shape belongs in

the box with the question
mark?

Which shape belongs in

the box with the question
mark?

Which shape belongs in

the box with the question
mark?