RE: another IQ question

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/15/04 8:20:20 AM Eastern Standard Time,

drf218@... writes:

Does IQ stay the same? Can he have one number one year and another 2 years

later? I'm asking because Nic had an IQ test the first time the Psych did

an eval. It was right at the border between mild/moderate-1 point in the

moderate side.

Di

1 point is not statistically significant to determine Mild v Moderate - ask

to see the range of error on the results (!)

- Becky

[Guest guest]

I would agree with Becky on all points and add the following.

IQ can go down due to inappropriate teaching, environmental factors, etc.

If educational factors are involved, it's called Effect. Other

factors like stress, anxiety and depression can also cause low scores even

tho the IQ isn't really any different. Good teaching and environment can

have a beneficial effect on scores, but it isn't always permanent. I've also

seen research showing children with DS can have scores on standard IQ tests

that vary by as much as 20 points up or down even if they take the test

again within days of the first administration, so the standard tests can

only be considered to provide a not very accurate snapshot of what the child

does on a particular day and a possible floor of what the child can actually

do. IQ testing done before I think it's age 6 or 8 can be inaccurate due to

the difficulty of assessing younger kids because they're-- younger.

Bottom line--for the purposes of knowing the bottom of where IQ is, you have

the info already. Unless the psych wants to look at whether there are

specific areas of weakness within IQ (memory skills, attention, etc), a new

eval isn't going to tell you anything. That's why the subtest scores can be

important; they show specific areas of weakness or strength. The raw scores

give you the means to monitor progress from year to year and may be the only

objective measure way if progress is slower than peers.

And an interesting aside. Jessie's district was hell-bent they needed to

update her IQ evals a couple years ago and really had a fit about it. She

had testing at 6 and again at 8. Scores she got at 12 or 13 were almost

exactly the same in terms of IQ as those at 6 and 8. Duh! And they still

are also not predictive of what she can do, just like any other kid.

Has the district made any statement of why they want this accessment? What

they are looking for?

Judi HL

Re: another IQ question

In a message dated 1/15/04 8:20:20 AM Eastern Standard Time,

drf218@... writes:

Does IQ stay the same? Can he have one number one year and another 2 years

later? I'm asking because Nic had an IQ test the first time the Psych did

an eval. It was right at the border between mild/moderate-1 point in the

moderate side.

Di

1 point is not statistically significant to determine Mild v Moderate - ask

to see the range of error on the results (!)

- Becky