low iq

Yes, at the re-eval they will redo the IQ test (but ask to be sure; we never should assume anything with the SpEd dept.)

I have two boys with LD. My oldest was text book. My youngest (7) was just tested and ended up with the low IQ of 86 which everyone has difficulty believing is accurate for him (even the school psychologist who tested him).

What has your son previously had done? Ask the school for a list of what they are planning to do and why they want to do it before they begin testing him. Maybe post it here for some advice about what to add or eliminate from the list.

Keep in mind that the IQ test is all done verbally and visually and adequate language skills are key. So if your son has any significant deficits in any of these areas (such as my boy) it COULD affect his IQ score.

Have they used any of the non-verbal IQ tests to verify the low score? This could be an option too.

thank you for the advise at the time he was tested his commutnication was no where like it is now.from original evaluation 6-8-00
they did the vreeland adaptive behavior scales
communication 52 mild to moderate deficite
daily living skills 60 mild deficit
socialization domain 69 mild deficite
adaptive composite 55
wiscIII
viq=59
piq=63
vsiq=57
states 20 months behind
there was no visual motor assessment done at the time it said “student struggling with making a square drawing a circle” he gets services under rule 340.1705 educable mentally impaired.

this does not seem like much information to me.

hope some one can help

thanks dl

When my boy (autistic non-verbal) was first tested his IQ was pegged at 31 using a battery of tests similar to te one you listed. We too felt this was artificially low, because his ability to learn was not so very bad, just his willingness to comply upon demand was poor and his areas of interest were very narrow.

At the time the psyche insisted he was profoundly retarded (and didn’t have a reply to my inquiry how does that assessment mesh with his ability to run a vcr and distinguish between tapes which had no pictures, or his ability to learn how to escape from every trick we put ont he door to keep him inside…) I asked the psyche if refusing to answer a question scored the same on the IQ testing as inability to answer, and got a mumbled “yes”. I then pressed on and asked the psyche what hos own score might be if he were to be given a test in Mandarin Chinese using gestures he did not understand and got a very begrudged “not good”.

A year later we found a much better psyche who administered a non-verbal IQ test, which gave a score of mid 70’s (although the traditional tests also given then mirrored the earlier score of low 30’s). The non-verbal test gives a hint at the untapped ability to learn and problem solving skill.

Push tehm for appropriate testing. Do not let artificially low scores discourage you, and use them as a tool to get more appropriate services for your child. If his non-verbal score is significantly higher than the traditional score, that clearly shows potential that is being left unnurtured, and they need to get him some 1:1 time to help him overcome the barriers preventing him from maximizing.

Good luck to you .

Yes, your son may be more “testable” now- he should certainly be given two types of IQ tests- a classic IQ test like the WISC-III or Stanford Binet and a nonverbal test of intelligence such a the C-TONI. Then, they should redo the Vineland as well. However, it is important to note that the last evaluation indicates that your son’s adaptive behavior was in line with his IQ- meaning he not only tested low, but his functioning in daily life was just as low. That meets the crieria for mental retardation. I have seen some children improve in both areas- they are usually autistic children who can become much better organized and better able to use their abilities. Simply ask for another assessment and see.

I worked with two boys from one family who had a genetic disorder. The older had been diagnosed with Kleinfelter’s Syndrome and once he had been diagnosed the school basically washed their hands of him and parked him inappropriately in an Emotionally Disturbed classroom. The younger had as yet no official diagnosis but was parked in a Mentally Retarded class, where he was in the lower half with the unqualified aide all day while the qualified teacher worked with the higher kids. I went to a placement meeting with his mother and the Educational Psychologist for the district just said he was functioning at a three-year-old level. (Actual age 8) Whatever you asked or whatever you said, this was his entire diagnosis. In fact a few hours observation showed that this was dead wrong; the boy simply had a massive communication disorder, and it was like trying to hold a conversation underwater. But once you got an idea across, he did understand, and if you listened to him long enough ideas came through the confused speech, and you realized that there was somebody home in there. I began teaching him to read using my usual methods and materials, and he surprised us all by learning at an average rate for a Grade 1 student. After about eight months he had progressed enough that the school board was able to magically find a place for him in a new LD class in Grade 3. The original “global three-year-old functioning” diagnosis simply could not have been correct. Yes, still needing work, but yes, there was somebody at home in that mind, and he was teachable.
After many many experiences of this sort I mistrust all educational psychologists and guidance counsellors on principle — there are good ones, but the incompetent time-servers unfortunately are the great majority. Expect the easy diagnosis and the convenient (for the school) placement.
Go over to the Teaching Reading board and ask people what programs have helped kids with profiles like yours. I hear about many things that can help.

Victoria, my wish for all parents of LDers is to have at least one teacher like you, but preferably more. Bless you.

i have been away for a while i thank you all for your advise when i talked to my sons resource teacher at his annual to sign some papers he said in fact they would be retesting him at his 3 year evaluation, in fact the teacher said andre (my son) was doing awesome at math he is now nine if he keeps it up we will introduce him to multiplication soon and he is now participating in a reading group he is at about 1st grade level as far as reading he is making progress it has been a lot of hard work but i am finally getting through to him. his teacher also sent home math papers with about 100 problems (358+428= them type of problems) he completed them in seven minutes with one mistake pretty good for a child with a IQ of 57. so i think when we retest him i think we will see better results, we are looking into aspergers at his reevaluation his teacher is going to suggest he get tested for it. i also been reading up on nld that profile fits him as well.

thank you for all the good advise
dl