IQ Testing and What Not

I can add that I don't think IQ tests at that age are all that accurate... Everyone has good and bad days and then add in a young kid and I'm sure there is variability. I kind of base this on kids who were tested as "gifted" at a young age and then as they grow up, really don't seem to be... I even know one who apparently JUST missed "gifted" and when I see her in school, I'd guess she had a below average IQ. She's really behind... Yet she was "almost gifted"?... A friend's daughter is clearly gifted. She goes to a school you need to be tested as gifted to have a shot at getting in. Her brother also got into this school. He has never struck anyone as gifted. Even his mother kind of says he probably shouldn't be there. Yet he must have tested as gifted. So again - how accurate is the test at a young age?... Doesn't sound to me like your son is disabled. I don't see how he'd be ahead in reading if that was the case.

Time to drop all the testing and diagnosing. He doesn't have a diagnosis except the vague one for "intellectual disability" -- so it's time to stop hunting for one and turn that same energy to something more productive. A lot of what you describe, especially now that you have ruled out ADHD, ADD, autism, etc. etc., sounds like fundamental immaturity, and that's not a condition that can be diagnosed or treated. The fact he is, as you put it, "THE youngest in his class," combined with the fact that generally boys often mature more slowly than girls, indicates that he might benefit from time, time and more time. It's too bad he didn't get an extra year off before K, and he could still be held back, but the fact he's doing decently in school probably means they won't hold him back though he would benefit from it.

It is interesting to me that you finally found this diagnosis of "intellectual disability" yet you note he also, your words, "Has never been behind academically...never really ahead, but never behind either." That does not sound like an intellectually disabled child but kid who's doing OK -- unfocused, yes, but not crashing and burning academically. In your place I would be skeptical that possibly whoever gave that diagnosis was...well, just seeking a diagnosis to give. Didn't the person doing the diagnosing give you next steps to take, specialists to see, classes he could take, etc? If not , have you asked them why not? Did you just get handed a diagnosis and sent on your way with no next steps outlined for you? If so -- if no one said, "Now here's what you do next and here are numbers to call, etc." -- that is a red flag that maybe they were seeking just to placate you with some, any, diagnosis since they realized you were seeking one so hard.

Your gut knows better, mom. You already say that this diagnosis "doesn't make sense to me" and "he is coming along in other areas of his life for sure." Please trust yourself more -- you know he's doing OK, just not as focused or advanced as some other kids (and probably doing better than other peers, too). Normal, so far. What have his classroom teachers, who spend far, far more time with him than test-givers or doctors, said? How detailed have your talks with them been? What do THEY think of IQ testing at this age? Do they reassure you that though he's not very focused he's doing OK in school and grasping things and learning? They see kids all the time, all day long, and often have the best read on a child-- better than some clinicians who just administer tests.

Take the energy that has gone into getting diagnoses and instead use it to find an occupational therapist to work with him on his low muscle tone (I've seen OTs do wonders and kids be done with OT by the time they're done with elementary or earlier). Keep up the swimming and karate and don't put him into team sports if he finds them stressful. Ask the OT about other things to do to help with coordination. Keep up the summer school if that is working well for him and he enjoys it, and also consider taking him to a lot more things in summer such as library story times (some include crafts tied in to the week's story), lots of play dates, etc. Ask the teachers at the summer school what they think, especially as they work with kids with learning issues.

Get set up with the school counselors, principals and teachers before next year begins -- call now, before they're all gone for summer, and make an appointment to meet the week before school starts in fall and set up an IEP (if one is needed -- I wonder if it really is) or otherwise set up frequent communication among you, the teachers, the counselors and the administration so his focus issues are handled well and swiftly and you know what goes on each day pretty closely.

My son had IQ based testing done in order to test for ADHD/Sensory issues, by a psychologist. She mentioned that IQ testing would also highlight any other intellectual disabilities as well. Prior to any testing she was very thorough in explaining that there were very specific markers that would indicate issues with focus within the IQ testing. When giving the results she made it clear these were his results today with a +/- deviation of so many points. The testing is accurate for that particular day (when administered by a competent professional).

she was also very quick to point out to us, that many of my son's scores may not have been a true 'score'. He clearly failed all the 'markers' she was looking for in evaluating his ADHD dx, so he lost considerable amount of points because he could careless about timed testing (he would often just ramble on telling stories about how he came to the answer he was giving her---on point and she said very accurate, just not how the test was scored). In essence, she explained to us ( at least in our case) she knew he would have scored higher, if his focusing issue/working memory issues werent there.

Did the professional that administered your son's testing do a similar feedback/results report for you? Did they give a written write up of why the test highlights a potential Intellectual Disability? Could it just be your son might not work underpressure? I would definitely seek a second opinion especially since your gut is telling you its just not adding up.

FWIW my son score was at tge borderline gifted range! AND He's just average in school. My personal thoughts are IQ testing when looking at just the score is useless. Looking beyond the scores and looking at each subset, you will see your childs strengths and weakness! My sons IQ testing did nothing but highlight that he is clearly a right brained child, in a traditional school learning environment!

Sounds like he is doing fine but a bit quirky maybe. He is young give him a chance to mature and stop with the testing. Kids are being scrutinized every which way these days. Enjoy who he is and forget the analyzing. I think if everyone just let their kids be who they are, the world would be a happier place. Enjoy your son. Great age.

Our neuropsych has a Guide for Parents on his website where on page 19 he explains how to think about IQ tests. Go to drmoldover.com, click on Parent's Guide on the right, and go to page 19 to read about IQ. It is a very useful guide in general. I cannot explain it better than he can.
"IQ is only a preparedness for academic success. We have subtests assessing pattern recognition and vocabulary knowledge. And people make the same error all the time…they view IQ as a holistic, universal quality, as indicating and predicting everything about a child, and as representing a core, immutable quantity. These misconceptions all too often lead us to sell a child short, to expect too little because a low score on a test “tells us” that there is little potential."
Oh, and we hired an advocate who knew the legal ins and outs of special education and goes to 3 of these meetings a week and knows what is important and what is not. I would ask around the school and hire yourself an advocate.

J. -

Speak with your ped and or those who administered/ reviewed the test data and results to figure out what IQ test was given, what the test tests for, and how your child fared, and what this means for your child in the short term, and in the long term. Are there any treatment/ therapy options in light of this test, and what other programs might he be eligible for or the family be eligible for as a result.

Try the school psychologist, a hospital social worker, or persons at your headstart program if you don't have anyone to turn to for guidance.

Best,
F. B.

Your son seems to be do abnormally well with an IQ of 70 or below.

Did anyone interpreting the test doubt the results?

You didn't mention where they said his IQ was. I was going to comment to remember 100 is average until I googled it and most sites said it had to be 70 or below to even consider intellectually disabled. Someone at 70 couldn't get by in a normal school with some tutoring in the summer!

So I am kind of with you on this diagnosis.

My experience with IQ tests are they are very accurate unless they cannot be properly administered but then they are supposed to tell you, well here it is but it isn't right. Still IQ alone doesn't tell you nearly as much as people seem to believe. All IQ tells you is your ability to learn, you can still refuse to learn or put more effort into to learning then someone with a different IQ and end up pretty much even in the brain game.

So back to my 100 I was thinking your son was around 90. Okay, yeah, he is going to have to work harder to hit average but that isn't a big deal but 70!

There are a lot of things odd to me about what you were told. Perhaps I am off base but it makes me think you did not choose a good place to do the testing. You can't be sort of ADHD, you are or you aren't. I guess I am wondering was he tested by someone cherry picked by your insurance company? I think you need to get a second opinion. Pretty much what they told you is this is something the school should deal with not doctors and if that is accurate yay! If it is not then I really hate your insurance company and whoever did that test because no child should struggle because they were refused therapy that would help them.

Per your what happened: We were given four different questioners that both my ex and I had to fill out independently and believe my brain exploded around the middle of the second. The questions are pretty much the same worded differently. A different set to the school. The doctor observed. Weighting is supposed to be done with different environments. Not that this is a question but does he run around in circles for five or more minutes at a time? That happening in school shows a higher lack of impulse control than if the question was answered at home.

That drifting, the need to blurt out questions is classic ADHD. They are two things that even at 46 I cannot fully control. Thankfully most of my friends and coworkers know the I got a question look and they just stop and let me in. Bless their hearts! It simply takes a pencil dropping for me to completely forget what I was going to ask. So you know that question can be completely lost if it isn't set free! Well until we are talking about donuts the next day, OH!! I remember!

Is it possible that the teacher didn't take the time to really answer the questions? Like she answered them just off the top of her head on a day he was doing really well?

tests are helpful, but only up to a point. the problem with them is that once the 'score' is returned, there are all sorts of assumptions made, and therein lies the rub.
you could have your son tested again next week, or at age 16, and have very different results. so use this as a springboard for your own observations on what your son can and can't do, and how he processes and learns so that you can advocate for him appropriately.
it sounds as if he's actually functioning far more highly than the tests would indicate he should be. so while i'm sure there are issues, don't let the 'professionals' corral you into putting your son into any sort of intellectual box. you need to become the definitive expert on THIS kid, his challenges and his areas of expertise.
and it sounds as if you are uniquely qualified to do this. i'm betting your instincts are right on. sounds as if this little fellow lucked into just the right mom.
khairete
S.

No wonder you're stressed. This low an IQ seems very strange for a child who is doing as well as your child is.

I am wondering if perhaps you should find someone else to administer the test. Your son may take the test "differently" than a child without learning differences and THAT may be part of the reason his numbers are low. I would not let this go. I would want to really understand this test.

First I would get a speech therapist to test his receptive language. Ask her to work with him on puzzles, mazes, concentration, all those things that they test on an IQ test, and see HOW he approaches it. I'm hoping that this is why his IQ shows so low.

Meanwhile, continue all the early intervention that you can. Honestly, it makes a HUGE difference in the long run. My younger son had sensory problems, speech problems, trouble with his writing hand, and had trouble learning his alphabet, even at 4 years old. Yes, I did a great deal of early intervention with him. Speech, OT, a year and a half of working with an OT who specialized in teaching handwriting to children who needed help (including those with sensory problems). He learned the alphabet while learning to write it. I put him in every sport I could to help him with some low tone issues.

And yes, in first grade I had his IQ tested in a psychoeducational test given NOT by the school, but by the children's hospital in our area. His IQ was above average. My older son is gifted, and there is a difference between the two. But I worked SO HARD with both of them and I believe, now that they are grown, that the reason both of them have been successful (in different ways, of course) is because I worked so hard with them while they were little. For my older son, making sure that he got the intellectual stimulation he needed, and working on his EQ (emotional quotient - he needed more of that), and for my younger son, bringing him along with his brother so that he could keep up with him. I never wanted my younger son to feel that he was less than his brother. And he didn't. I got tutoring for him to make sure of that. Other than speech services, he didn't have an IEP.

My older son will graduate college next year. My younger just graduated high school and will enter college in the fall. Though my younger son's high school grades weren't stellar, he did pull himself up his senior year to make the honor roll. Having an average IQ is important, I won't try to sugarcoat things here. An IQ of 70, if that is REAL, will be a real problem for your son throughout school and he will possbily need to be in special ed as things in school get harder. But I am hoping that this is just a matter of your son not having the skills to actually take the test properly, and that his true IQ is higher. Keep up the early intervention. Don't let up. Then find someone else to give him the test again.

These are now questions you need to follow up on with the tester and the school. What does it mean for your son? How do you get him an IEP? How do you get him the services he needs, the support he needs and make sure that he isn't falling through the cracks because he's borderline on some criteria? He may need more time, for example, to do the same work. There are plans you can have drawn up with the school (IEP or 504...forget the specifics) to get him that support and time he may need to do well. You may also want to talk to the counselor at the school, as he or she may already have programs in place to help children with social skills. I know ours worked with my DD and one of her peers (who I suspect has Aspberger's but no one can tell me for privacy reasons) and it made a big difference in the classroom.

The main thing about an IEP or an evaluation? Getting answers and dogging people for those answers til you feel comfortable with the ones you get.

No--I haven't dealt with this.
Just wanted to suggest....Tell your son he's a genius--NEVER tell him these results.
Self fulfilling prophecy and all.
Best!

First step back and take a deep breath. Here's the deal with all the testing; the test every single thing they can just so they have all the information needed to rule out things and set an action plan based on the test results. It's like a jigsaw puzzle where you really can't see the entire picture until you put all the pieces together.

All tests are subject to a plus/minus percentage because kids might be having a great day or off day when they are administered. The child also might really connect with the person giving the test or might be slightly irritated by them.

With all this testing done you and the school need to sit down and set an action plan that will serve your child's needs. His IQ is just piece of his jigsaw puzzle. You need to make sure that all his pieces are taken into account and he is getting the services he needs to help him move forward.

Try an online support group.

http://www.mdjunction.com/sensory-processing-disorder