Advice re school psych testing results
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Anonymous
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My 12 year old was tested by mcps and his iq came in about twelve points lower than it did three years prior on private testing. His iq was low average before so now it is borderline. More troubling is his fluid reasoning score dropped about 21 points. He finished the test super quickly and I’m sure he didn’t do his “best” because he wanted to be done. But I’m not sure how to deal with this now. It’s not a standard deviation difference but because of where his iq falls it takes him from on the cusp of average to the cusp of ID. It worries me re his placement.
He’s coming from a special needs private and I’m sure his educational testing isn’t great either. The thing is he doesn’t present ID at all. He plays sports, does typical camps, can function okay socially. He has deficits for sure. But I don’t think at this level. How should I proceed? The school psych was confident and felt it reflected his abilities. I don’t think so, and it also doesn’t jive with our prior testing. Prior testing showed a scattered profile. This does not. But the FSIQ difference is just 12 points. What do people think? is this a big enough discrepancy to even worry about? And how meaningful is it? |
Anonymous
| I’m not a big believer in testing results, so don’t stress. Your child is still the same as yesterday. What placement do you want? Do you think your child can handle a mainstream class or would you prefer a smaller classroom? Base your decision on your everyday child- not just the results. |
Anonymous
| I think it only matters if its going to be used as some kind of rigid cut-off for placement or services. Trust the kid you see in front of you, not the scores. |
Anonymous
| As a parent of a child with a borderline IQ (who is now an adult), here’s my take on it. Figure out what services your child needs to be successful in school and make them happen. If you are in MCPS, unless mainstream is impossible push with everything you have to stay mainstream. If you don’t the option is a certificate not a diploma. And don’t spend too might time dwelling on the numbers. |
Anonymous
| You can ask for an IEE, so the school district pays for a provider of your choice. They won't be able to administer the same IQ test, but there are lots of options and a good evaluator will be able to talk about the differences. |
Anonymous
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Our son has taken the school psychologist tests twice. It has to be done every three years for the IEP process.
Finishing the test quickly can greatly affect the score. The test is not fun and our son rushed through it and refused to do one section. He didn’t care. The testing was broken into several sections so he didn’t have to do it all at once. The test just wasn’t important to him. He scored much lower when he took it the second time. The school psychologist clarified, on the report, that his behavior affected the test. She did that for the second test. She also included a range adjustment that says this is not an exact score. It could vary by a certain number of points. |
Anonymous
| If the previous IQ showed a scattered profile did the previous tester report all the scores or discounted low scores to make his IQ seem higher? |
Anonymous
No. All the scores. |
Anonymous
| Remember, his adaptive functioning score would have to be extremely low for him to be labeled ID. Doesn't sound like that's the case at all if he's able to play sports and navigate socially. A fluctuation on a test he rushed through does not mean he's had a fluctuation in his capabilities. |
Anonymous
| Request an IEE - super simple and you can Google sample request letters- and have the county pay for testing from a private provider of your choosing. That way you really can focus on the services you all do need. I’m in FCPS and can tell you that I don’t trust the school system to provide correct information anymore, which is sad and frustrating. Good luck! |
Anonymous
| I’d pay for private testing. |
Anonymous
This is bad advice for MCPS. An IEE will require a lawyer to get and show the tester was completely incompetent and the results were invalid. You won't get this OP. |
Anonymous
No it’s not at all. The cost of them proving you’re wrong would greatly exceed the cost of testing. IEE requests are almost never denied. |
Anonymous
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If he rushed through the test, he will probably do the same with an IEE. Something like a WISC cannot really be rushed through, as an experienced tester will not read or present the question until the student appears to be ready and willing. Other IQ tests may be presented in a more self-paced fashion, so it matters what test it was.
An IEP does not require new testing every three years. That rule was changed long ago. The IEP team is supposed to collaborate to decide if new testing is warranted. Variations in testing can be due to many factors. Focus on what your kid needs and on the goals and services. Don’t focus so much on the scores. |
Anonymous
Federal law says that school systems can't merely say no to IEE requests -- if they think their evaluation is sufficient they have to file due process and convince a hearing officer that an IEE isn't necessary. Does MCPS really do that? |