Hello (I also posted this on the Parenting forum),
I hope some of you might be able to shed some light on what might be happening here.
My son’s IQ score went from 110 to 75. First test was the WPPSI - he was 6 1/2 - and the it was used because he was (and still is) speech language impaired. His performance IQ was 119 and his verbal was 106
The next test was at 9 1/2 was the WISC IV. I don’t have the Verbal/Performance breakdown - I was too stunned to ask - but the psych said that the performance had dropped (obviously).
BUT according to his achievement tests he reads 1 full grade AHEAD, and is only 6 months behind in math (last year he was a full year behind in math). So he has made progress this year.
He rec’s OT and speech/language therapy. He has known issues with auditory processing, fine motor and visual perceptual issues. He has low tone which bleeds into everything. He also fatigues quite easily. He has been in early interventiion since birth.
His resource room teacher does not agree with the IQ results - she says he would not be getting the achievement test scores he does. She says he doesn’t present like a 75 IQ. She has 25 years experience as a resource room teacher. Another psychologist thought that something must be wrong/ a different test should be given. The psych who gave the test said that we would see everything go downhill now - not his exact words, but in a nutshell. But he did say that my son’s attention and motivation on that day could have affected the testing.
He gets 100’s on his multiplication and spelling in class, but his teacher says that he does lose focus and will drift off when more complicated things are presented. But according to his achievement scores, he is learning something.
Maybe it is just that I don’t know what a 75 IQ looks like. I just feel like I had the wind knocked out of me.
Thank You
Please help - son's IQ score dropped 35 points!??
IQ testing is subject to error just like anything else. If a child is having a bad day, that can be reflected in the results.
Testing error is always going to result in a depressed score. Theoretically, at least, one can never test higher than one’s potential; however, it’s quite possible to test lower.
Please help - son's IQ score dropped 35 points!??
BEcause they are different IQ tests, you *can* get very different results.
However, that’s a huge difference, *and* it does’t match the kiddo. Were there any notes by the tester about behaviors or anxiety? Usually the testers don’t have the courage to actually *say* “I’m not sure this is valid” and will cut and paste a phrase about believing it to be a valid measure of the child’s abilities… but sometimes there will be clues in the report that actually there was somethign going on that would depress the score.
I would write a note and get it in that file that you do not believe that score to be valid based on the earlier WPPSI score *and* the testimony of the teacher. THose nasty numbers can do damage down the road.
Please help - son's IQ score dropped 35 points!??
Not being at all familiar with the WPPSI, I just had to do a little Googling.
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Relationship to Other Measures
Mean Scores for WISC IV and WPPSI III
N=182 children, aged 6—7, mean interval 22 days
WISC IV WPPSI III Corrected r12
VCI/VIQ 100.5 100.2 .83
PRI/PIQ 102.6 102.0 .79
WMI 99.6
PSI/PSQ 103.1 104.4 .65
FSIQ/FSIQ 102.7 102.5 .89
GLC 97.1
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Looks like they should produce scores in the same ballpark, and 35 points is off the planet. Unfortunately, our LD psychologist has left for the weekend.
Although I’m not a psychologist, I’ve been reading reports and counseling since 1974 when I finished grad school and I don’t recall more than a couple of cases with that much of a point swing and they were due to heavy meds, a head injury, depression, etc.
If you haven’t seen any behavior changes or such, I’d guess he just wasn’t up for being tested that day. Or maybe the school psychologist just rubbed him the wrong way too. I know there are some good school psychologists out there, but I swear some of them are getting paid by the pound for reports and they just crank ‘em out.
If I had to make a decision based on two tests with scores that far apart I’d toss the low scores in a heartbeat.
Like Sue said - retest.
Definitely, sbsolutely, a retest. No question. IQ won’t drop 35 points without major brain damage. Variations of five to ten points happen normally between testing sessions. A slow drift downwards happens if good remediation is not in place. But 35, no way. And a child with an IQ of 75 does present quite differently. Such a child will be obviously slow. Basic communication will be difficult. You would have to speak slowly, limit your vocabulary, demonstrate each and every step, repeat yourself multiple times, etc. From the sound of your child this is apparently not the case, so yes, get a retest ASAP.