To be or not to be retested?

[Dakotah]

Hello gals! I need a little advice from the gang.

My son just turned six in May. When he was 4 1/2 he was fully evaluated by a psychologist who we really like. He did an IQ test and my son scored 86. Generally 90-110 is considered average. Anything under 80/85 is pretty low. We were pretty sad when we received the results because we felt like it was just another strike against him. Another area he needs to work hard at. I think we all know how these "strikes" can weigh us down as parents. I just want life to be easy for him... Okay so here is my decision. We just started with a psychiatrist. We have been seeing him for about four months. We all agree that his diagnosis of ADHD, OCD and SI are accurate. He wonders, however, if the IQ is accurate. My son is almost done reading the first Harry Potter book and he has an IQ of 86? He wants to retest him. Should we? What benefit would it offer to have him re-evaluated? He is who he is whether we know that number or not. Does that make sense? Part of me likes to think of him as a smart little boy. I like that. I like thinking his IQ is wrong and he is beating all the odds. If his IQ is done again and comes out the same (I am embarrassed to say this) I think I would be disappointed. Call me crazy but this is a really hard decision for my husband and I to make. HELP!!!

[JV]

Dakotah,

My son also had the IQ test done, however they waited to do this until he was 10. I think that age has everything to do with the outcome. I know that when children are so very young, they learn at different rates. If you want to have the test done again, I would wait till hes older. Many times it takes a little maturity to even sit through these things, and nervousness, even understanding how to take a test at a young age Im sure influenced the score. I would not take the result to seriously. Wait for a couple of years and if you still feel strongly test again, remember as you said, it really doesnt matter what the result is. Just that you and your son and family are happy and doing the best that you can. JV

[Mayleng]

Dakotah, it really depends on the purpose. If it is to find out more about how he is learning, what is his weaknesses and helping to get him help from the school, then I say go for it. My Neuropsych did tell me that ADHD/ADD can depress the IQ scores in the first place so chances are your son's IQ scores done previously is low. The IQ scores are just numbers, but they can point you to some dxs ie. NLD, if the Verbal IQ is at least 20pts higher than the performance IQ. The breakdown scores of the individual subtests can show where his strength and weaknesses are.

6 yrs old is still young, but if it will help formalize an IEP for him, I say go for it.

Don't look at it from the point of how smart he is but as a tool to figure out how to help him achieve and help him in school. IQ numbers are not cast in stone, it does not reflect the total child.

[Dakotah]

Thanks JV and Mayleng. I really needed some help on this one. I think looking at an IQ as a "tool" is key. I feel like that "tool" isn't needed right now. Maybe in the future however. I will cross that bridge when we come to it. For now I will give the little guy a free pass on another eval.

[d]

Also Dakotah some psych's say that either under age 6 or age 7, the IQ test results can fluctuate/be less stable. So the more time you wait to have it done, the better. Also similar to what Mayleng said, unless there is a point to having it done, why bother. You know your ds.

I'd say IQ results at 4 1/2 could fluctuate a LOT.

My younger dd had one done at age 3. She had speech therapy during the pre-school years (ear infections) and IQ was part of the battery of tests. She sat on my lap for all the tests, she simply wouldn't seperate from me - no issues or scenes she was just not going to leave my lap. I didn't know which tests were for IQ or not then but believe me, I knew she knew many more answers than she offered. She wouldn't talk at all, just point to her answers. It became a cat and mouse game where she chose to not give many answers even with the experienced testor begging and cajoling. Her IQ came out "ok" but I don't view it as a valid indication of anything.