IQ tests in children

gryp

Mon, Feb 04 2008, 12:32 pm

Has anyone had their preschooler's IQ tested? Did you think the results were perfectly accurate?

Am I supposed to view my 4 yr old's IQ test results as accurate if the psychologist told me he was a bit spaced out and distracted during the test?

Anyone have any insight for me on this?

Ruchel

Mon, Feb 04 2008, 12:37 pm

I've been told it's useless before 6. And even a lot after 6, it can still go up. Here, they don't test unless they suspect either a low or high IQ, or the parents want the child in a gifted school.
I've also been told kids are often a bit distracted or weirded out by the setting. Some say it indicates that you can take the highest result (for example 120 in maths and 110 in expression, but you should consider 120), others that it's a normal part of the exam and doesn't change anything.

Now, IQ test have obviously changed, I think, since I was in school...

amother

Mon, Feb 04 2008, 1:02 pm

Quote:

Am I supposed to view my 4 yr old's IQ test results as accurate if the psychologist told me he was a bit spaced out and distracted during the test?

No. If your child wasn't doing his best, then the score is not indicative of your child's true potential.

But what Ruchel said is also accurate about the age- the younger they are, the more likely the score is to change in a few years. Sometimes up, sometimes down.

Why are you doing an IQ test to begin with? Which test was it? Was the psychologist familiar with the cultural variety in responses of frum children?

amother

Mon, Feb 04 2008, 1:17 pm

I had my son tested several times, since he was quite young. The scores, except for one, were very consistent.

If you want, have him retested at some point, to see if he just wasn't focused on that particular day.

amother

Mon, Feb 04 2008, 1:22 pm

amother wrote:

Was the psychologist familiar with the cultural variety in responses of frum children?

Testers don't take into account that children are frum any more than they take into account that parents are foreign-born, or the family is black, or the parents are not present very much, if at all. They ask the questions and give scores and comments.

Ruchel

Mon, Feb 04 2008, 1:23 pm

amother wrote:

Was the psychologist familiar with the cultural variety in responses of frum children?

ditto.

gryp

Mon, Feb 04 2008, 1:24 pm

It was a test geared for ages 4-7, and done by a frum psychologist. She told me he was distracted and that he didn't do very well, and I'm just not sure what that would mean. She also said, it could be he was just having a bad day, when I told her that at his first general evaluation he impressed the other therapist with his vocabulary and knowledge about every topic she tested him on.

I'm not the kind of mother who thinks all my kids are geniuses, and if my child gets a low IQ score, I'm not going to sit forever in denial and pretend he is above average. I just don't see how the test results can be accurate if he was distracted.

I know he's no dummy, on the contrary, he's pretty bright. I wish I could have been there for the testing to see how he was for it- if he was relaxed and comfortable, or if he was withdrawn and not himself.

That's why I'm just wondering if anyone had their child's IQ test done and were puzzled by the results.

greenfire

Mon, Feb 04 2008, 1:31 pm

the whole idea of these tests is to see if someone is smart - yet incapable of reaching his/her potential ... they can get help in school ... so ... if the kid was distracted - he might need help ... I wouldn't view it bad or good ... at such a young age ...

Ruchel

Mon, Feb 04 2008, 1:34 pm

I know I had huge discrepancies in my results, depending on how I liked the stuff. I was also tested on several different days, not everything at once. It was a loooong time ago.

Ask the psychologist if he didnt do well BECAUSE he was distracted, and ask your child if it was hard, or just too boring. I remember some things bored me so much... and no one told me it was important not to neglect them.

Also, how low is low. If he gets a 105 score on something and a 130 on something else and still 125 somewhere else it's not low.

mumoo

Mon, Feb 04 2008, 1:39 pm

I was teaching at a Jewish Community Center, dd (3yrs) was in another classroom. The local public headstart came to evaluate the children. A few weeks later, I received a letter telling me my dd was "severly to profoundly [crazy]" and in need of a million remedial services and programs. After about one second of terror, I laughed and realized that my very aidel (read: won't talk to anyone she doesn't know) dd didn't open her mouth the entire test time. The dummo who analyzed the results must have looked up "zero" and sent out the corresponding letters to the parents. Now do you trust testing Question

gryp

Mon, Feb 04 2008, 1:47 pm

Thanks, mumoo for your personal anecdote. That brings another question. I know it's a standardized test, but does who the test-giver is have any bearing on the score? I don't want to talk bad about people, so let's just say that the psychologist testing him isn't the most mentally-stable person. Confused

My son is also very shy and nervous, he was in a new room he'd never been in before, with a new person.

I wouldn't be running to take his IQ, believe me, it was just a standard routine test given. But once he has his IQ test done, I just think I should try and understand the results.

Or I can just forget the whole thing. Tongue Out

amother

Mon, Feb 04 2008, 2:31 pm

Quote:

That's a lousy tester. I supervise testers and train testers and if a psychologist does not take into account cultural factors, language, etc., they are not worth the paper their diploma is printed on. There are plenty of good testers who know how to ascertain whether a child's score is reflective of his ability or his mood or his cultural exposure, etc.

Mumoo- that is a horrible story. I hear these stories and wonder how these people got licensed. When I work with kids who won't talk, I don't test them. Sometimes we play games, sometimes we color, until the child is ready and interested.

Quote:

I know it's a standardized test, but does who the test-giver is have any bearing on the score?

Of course. The rapport your child has with the tester GREATLY influences the motivation your child has to respond, his interest in the whole process, etc.

You should get your child re-assessed, even if it is only for your peace of mind.

amother

Mon, Feb 04 2008, 2:35 pm

Quote:

I wouldn't be running to take his IQ, believe me, it was just a standard routine test given. But once he has his IQ test done, I just think I should try and understand the results.

Also, I don't understand what a standard routine test means. Was this a kindergarten screening? Are you concerned about disabilities or giftedness? Usually standard routine tests are not given in my area, otherwise we would be testing 24/7.