One final step in DAS interpretation is the qualitative evaluation of both the responses given and the task requirements of the subtests.

Table - 25 shows input/output requirements for each of the DAS subtests. Examiners may wish to examine the demands of a subtest with which a child has had particular problems and contrast that with the child's performance on another subtest having different demands. For example, a child may have done well on the Verbal Comprehension subtest and poorly on the Naming Vocabulary subtest. Contrasting the input/output demands of the subtests, input for Verbal Comprehension involved both auditory and visual meaningful stimuli while Naming Vocabulary included primarily visual input. Additionally, the mode of output for Verbal Comprehension is motoric while the mode for Naming Vocabulary is verbal. Examiners using this comparative approach could investigate further the hypotheses generated by qualitative analysis. To really understand the demands of each subtest, have someone administer the subtest to you. Even with preschool tests, there is no substitute for this experience in helping you understand all the demands of a subtest.