Hope for a child with an 80 IQ?

[Anonymous]

OP here. I haven't been back in this thread because I've had a lot to digest. I really appreciate everyone's perspectives!

For what it's worth, I don't really think the psychologist who did my daughter's testing was incompetent. We had a follow up conversation last week at her IEP meeting, after I read everyone's comments and talked to my friend who is a pediatrician. The psychologist shared a lot of behavioral information about her which made sense. She was very spacey during testing and that's kind of how she has always been- spacey, and not amazing at understanding the "deeper meanings" of things. Like, when I ask her questions about a movie, she will understand the surface level details but not character motivations or predictions about what may happen next.

She isn't medicated for ADHD right now, but that is something we will be pursuing. The one thing I didn't understand fully is that she doesn't have any learning disabilities. However, the evaluator said (this is from my memory and may not be completely accurate) that her math, reading, and writing abilities are all basically evenly developed and that she is about one grade level below in all areas. She said she assessed specifically for dyslexia and that my daughter doesn't show the markers (which I agree with, as she has decent word reading, it's just understanding the meaning of lengthy paragraphs that is hard). I did ask her to share what she meant by "will always struggle" and she essentially said that it may take her longer to grasp material due to her IQ struggles and her ADHD, but that she certainly has the capacity to learn. At this point, I don't disagree with the assessment and I don't think putting her through more testing would be helpful right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remember parents: you can request an IEE for free if you don't like the quality of the school evals. You don't have to give a reason why you're requesting it. Just email the principal and copy the central office that you are requesting one. They are free.

My response to this comment was deleted. This board is heavily censored if a teacher shares the other side of the story, which is a shame and does not

benefit anyone.

IEEs are not free. They cost thousands of dollars paid by the school system and tax payors. The intent is so parents have an option if they disagree with school assessments. Most IEES I see, do not follow that intent. Many Parents just want more assessments paid by someone else. Many do abuse the system. Those are facts and stop deleting and censoring school staff.

You’re not being censored, you’re just ridiculous. I responded to you and it was also deleted. Your insistence that greedy special needs parents are taking money away from the school system is wrong, asinine, blame shifting, and again, ridiculous. Most parents are, as the school system prefers, completely clueless and unable to advocate for themselves in the system. The school systems fight tooth and nail to avoid spending money on special education, going so far as to refuse to recognize dyslexia, the most common LD, and refusing to provide evidence based accommodations for it. We all understand there are limited resources and this is the game we are all forced to play. But the idea that the schools are just doing all they can while the mean old parents are robbing them, trying to make them comply with FAPE! Rude! Can’t the dumb kids just take being told they’re dumb and there’s nothing more to do? So tiring! You’re out of it, unfair, and the numbers don’t back you up. You’re a biased person and clearly anti special needs children.

Your comments show your lack of understanding about special education guidelines and law, which are not drafted by schools or teachers.

You say “schools refuse to recognize dyslexia.” You Make no sense, and that’s not accurate. Schools by LAW cannot give a MEDICAL diagnosis. Dyslexia is a medical diagnosis. Schools can’t diagnose other medical diagnosis, like adhd, autism, or anxiety. Schools CAN Do testing and find a child eligible in specific learning disability (for students who have dyslexia, whether family got a medical diagnosis in writing or not).

Yes that is correct that students with low IQS may not qualify for special education. That’s the law!! I didn’t write and neither did your schools teachers. We’re not biased, against you, or anti-special education. Surely there are incompetent teachers (like there is incompetency in every field!). That doesn’t make it ok to come online and tell parents that school staff are all incompetent, don’t care about kids, and are on a mission to not serve children. And I assure you, teachers don’t think it’s a game. You’re out of line. I’m sorry for you that you are at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remember parents: you can request an IEE for free if you don't like the quality of the school evals. You don't have to give a reason why you're requesting it. Just email the principal and copy the central office that you are requesting one. They are free.

My response to this comment was deleted. This board is heavily censored if a teacher shares the other side of the story, which is a shame and does not benefit anyone.

IEEs are not free. They cost thousands of dollars paid by the school system and tax payors. The intent is so parents have an option if they disagree with school assessments. Most IEES I see, do not follow that intent. Many Parents just want more assessments paid by someone else. Many do abuse the system. Those are facts and stop deleting and censoring school staff.

The fact that you don’t understand or credit why a parent being told by the entity that would be responsible for providing services that there are no appropriate services to be provided, and might want a neutral opinion on the subject, speaks volumes about your general logical abilities. No, I don’t trust the school to tell me my kid is just too low IQ - not low IQ enough for a certificate program! But low enough to get no services beyond meaningless nothings. And neither would you or any parent invested in their child’s life. Luckily for me I have the resources not to be so bound, and can do it all privately. But for those that don’t - they should fight tooth and nail to figure out how their children can be helped. And for many of these people, they’ve spent the money that they have available buying a house in a good school area, paying taxes, and filling in all of the gaps that are not funded. The idea that the school shouldn’t be held to an objective standard is utter crap.

Schools have to follow special education laws. Schools have to use the required to see if children are eligible for special education services. Your schools and teachers did not draft those guidelines- they are from the department of education. I understand your frustration, but it is not your school team’s fault. It’s not because your school team doesn’t care.

[Anonymous]

I would suggest getting a private neurophysiological exam done. They will be very specific in your child's strengths and weaknesses and it may help you in knowing how to work with them. Stick with it, OP. You got this. It is a big world with room for everyone. There are many, many people with low iq's living and working in society successfully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remember parents: you can request an IEE for free if you don't like the quality of the school evals. You don't have to give a reason why you're requesting it. Just email the principal and copy the central office that you are requesting one. They are free.

My response to this comment was deleted. This board is heavily censored if a teacher shares the other side of the story, which is a shame and does not

benefit anyone.

IEEs are not free. They cost thousands of dollars paid by the school system and tax payors. The intent is so parents have an option if they disagree with school assessments. Most IEES I see, do not follow that intent. Many Parents just want more assessments paid by someone else. Many do abuse the system. Those are facts and stop deleting and censoring school staff.

You’re not being censored, you’re just ridiculous. I responded to you and it was also deleted. Your insistence that greedy special needs parents are taking money away from the school system is wrong, asinine, blame shifting, and again, ridiculous. Most parents are, as the school system prefers, completely clueless and unable to advocate for themselves in the system. The school systems fight tooth and nail to avoid spending money on special education, going so far as to refuse to recognize dyslexia, the most common LD, and refusing to provide evidence based accommodations for it. We all understand there are limited resources and this is the game we are all forced to play. But the idea that the schools are just doing all they can while the mean old parents are robbing them, trying to make them comply with FAPE! Rude! Can’t the dumb kids just take being told they’re dumb and there’s nothing more to do? So tiring! You’re out of it, unfair, and the numbers don’t back you up. You’re a biased person and clearly anti special needs children.

Your comments show your lack of understanding about special education guidelines and law, which are not drafted by schools or teachers.

You say “schools refuse to recognize dyslexia.” You Make no sense, and that’s not accurate. Schools by LAW cannot give a MEDICAL diagnosis. Dyslexia is a medical diagnosis. Schools can’t diagnose other medical diagnosis, like adhd, autism, or anxiety. Schools CAN Do testing and find a child eligible in specific learning disability (for students who have dyslexia, whether family got a medical diagnosis in writing or not).

Yes that is correct that students with low IQS may not qualify for special education. That’s the law!! I didn’t write and neither did your schools teachers. We’re not biased, against you, or anti-special education. Surely there are incompetent teachers (like there is incompetency in every field!). That doesn’t make it ok to come online and tell parents that school staff are all incompetent, don’t care about kids, and are on a mission to not serve children. And I assure you, teachers don’t think it’s a game. You’re out of line. I’m sorry for you that you are at this point.

Hey, as a fellow parent of a slightly below average iq kid, I’d like to discuss actually helpful things rather than your view of the schools. Please stop dominating this thread.

OP, we have found sports to be really helpful. We have also done intensive tutoring although our kid isn’t classically dyslexic and it’s been great. For reading comprehension - a big weakness - we try subtitles and checking in often.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son has a similar IQ. It’s hard to teach him things like don’t brag. We did ASDEC for years and it has been incredibly helpful.

Hi. Curious what is ASDEC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son has a similar IQ. It’s hard to teach him things like don’t brag. We did ASDEC for years and it has been incredibly helpful.

Hi. Curious what is ASDEC?

Dyslexia remediation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would get her evaluated privately. The school has an incentive to find “just low IQ and not a learning disability,” because then they’re not on the hook for services.

I would wait until age 12 and do a private evaluation. For kids younger than this, any results should be taken with caution. A young child’s performance is extremely impacted by mood, behavior, attention, etc. An older child is better able to set aside any disturbances.

I don’t agree that schools artificially deflate scores, but they don’t necessarily make sure tests are given in optimal conditions. The psychologist pulls your kid for testing when she has time—right before lunch or the day of a class party or your child’s first day back from a break, with tons of noise outside her door. (I’m an elementary school teacher and our psychologist’s office is right next to the gym and kindergarten bathrooms). The results of those tests are not always very valid.

That said, while my own son’s IQ was higher between school testing (80) and private (97), I know his attention issues will continue to make school hard for him. I absolutely agree with others who recommended exposing your child to lots of different things, so she can be motivated by opportunities and occupations outside the usual white collar options. For my son, this has meant trying out sports and camps and making sure we talk about a variety of jobs and lifestyle choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son has a similar IQ. It’s hard to teach him things like don’t brag. We did ASDEC for years and it has been incredibly helpful.

Hi. Curious what is ASDEC?

It’s an organization focused on dyslexia remediation. Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Education Center. They train tutors/teachers/therapists in an Orton Gillingham methodology, have a training program for math for dyslexia, provide a clearinghouse of their trained tutors, and run summer dyslexia remediation camps for kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would get her evaluated privately. The school has an incentive to find “just low IQ and not a learning disability,” because then they’re not on the hook for services.

+100

Whenever I come on this board it takes a second before I become disgusted by the negative attitudes towards the school.
IQ scores cannot be "made up" and "just found" and the person who is evaluating your child does not have an agenda. If anything, the school psychologist is probably upset to find out that your child had this lower IQ, and was glad that she could be qualified under a different category.
I'm a school psychologist (with a clinical license, and I've worked in both sectors). OP, I would recommend requesting a re-test in a year or so, especially if your child is recently diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD can significantly depress cognitive scores in an artificial way. In addition, I completely agree with the poster who recommended you keep exposing her to new information and be patient. Now that she has acquired the basic reading skills, she is in a great position to be successful! I'm sure she has many wonderful strengths that will aid her going forward. Keep her feeling positive, successful, and enthusiastic about school as much as you can.

If the examiner doesn't test properly, then the score doesn't mean much. My five year old daughter needed an IEP for her speech impediment. She scored high on every section but cognitive processing speed. She had to quickly identify bugs. She stopped and pretended to be every single bug, so that score was disability low. The examiner only instructed her once and didn't restart and correct her when she wouldn't listen. My husband and I weren't allowed to speak at all, so we just watched it happen. My daughter got an overall score of 110 because of that. The examiner said not to worry about it and the low score will be ignored for the IEP because she isn't actually impaired in that area. So who knows what my daughter's real IQ is. Is she gifted? Should she be in a program for that? I'll never know because of the lackadaisical attitude of the examiner and department.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would get her evaluated privately. The school has an incentive to find “just low IQ and not a learning disability,” because then they’re not on the hook for services.

+100

Whenever I come on this board it takes a second before I become disgusted by the negative attitudes towards the school.
IQ scores cannot be "made up" and "just found" and the person who is evaluating your child does not have an agenda. If anything, the school psychologist is probably upset to find out that your child had this lower IQ, and was glad that she could be qualified under a different category.
I'm a school psychologist (with a clinical license, and I've worked in both sectors). OP, I would recommend requesting a re-test in a year or so, especially if your child is recently diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD can significantly depress cognitive scores in an artificial way. In addition, I completely agree with the poster who recommended you keep exposing her to new information and be patient. Now that she has acquired the basic reading skills, she is in a great position to be successful! I'm sure she has many wonderful strengths that will aid her going forward. Keep her feeling positive, successful, and enthusiastic about school as much as you can.

If the examiner doesn't test properly, then the score doesn't mean much. My five year old daughter needed an IEP for her speech impediment. She scored high on every section but cognitive processing speed. She had to quickly identify bugs. She stopped and pretended to be every single bug, so that score was disability low. The examiner only instructed her once and didn't restart and correct her when she wouldn't listen. My husband and I weren't allowed to speak at all, so we just watched it happen. My daughter got an overall score of 110 because of that. The examiner said not to worry about it and the low score will be ignored for the IEP because she isn't actually impaired in that area. So who knows what my daughter's real IQ is. Is she gifted? Should she be in a program for that? I'll never know because of the lackadaisical attitude of the examiner and department.

Well, she sucks at following directions, we know that. You can't blame that on the examiner. There are constraints to administering IQ tests, and uniformity is one of those constraints. (The examiner can't coach/enable/coddle the test taker.)

What were her subscores? Those can tell you if she's gifted in those other areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would get her evaluated privately. The school has an incentive to find “just low IQ and not a learning disability,” because then they’re not on the hook for services.

+100

Whenever I come on this board it takes a second before I become disgusted by the negative attitudes towards the school.
IQ scores cannot be "made up" and "just found" and the person who is evaluating your child does not have an agenda. If anything, the school psychologist is probably upset to find out that your child had this lower IQ, and was glad that she could be qualified under a different category.
I'm a school psychologist (with a clinical license, and I've worked in both sectors). OP, I would recommend requesting a re-test in a year or so, especially if your child is recently diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD can significantly depress cognitive scores in an artificial way. In addition, I completely agree with the poster who recommended you keep exposing her to new information and be patient. Now that she has acquired the basic reading skills, she is in a great position to be successful! I'm sure she has many wonderful strengths that will aid her going forward. Keep her feeling positive, successful, and enthusiastic about school as much as you can.

If the examiner doesn't test properly, then the score doesn't mean much. My five year old daughter needed an IEP for her speech impediment. She scored high on every section but cognitive processing speed. She had to quickly identify bugs. She stopped and pretended to be every single bug, so that score was disability low. The examiner only instructed her once and didn't restart and correct her when she wouldn't listen. My husband and I weren't allowed to speak at all, so we just watched it happen. My daughter got an overall score of 110 because of that. The examiner said not to worry about it and the low score will be ignored for the IEP because she isn't actually impaired in that area. So who knows what my daughter's real IQ is. Is she gifted? Should she be in a program for that? I'll never know because of the lackadaisical attitude of the examiner and department.

Please learn more about how standardized tests work. Many of them have only a few allowable prompts listed in the manual, items cannot be repeated, etc. or the standardization is lost. Very likely the examiner WAS testing properly. Getting results that you don't like, doesn't mean the exam wasn't done properly. Seeing how children perform when they actually have to do what the adult tells them to do, when the adult tells them to do it and in the way they are told to do it, is very informative as well.

[Anonymous]

Don't push her to read at the level she should be at to try to bring her up to speed or accelerate her. Keep her reading at the level that's most comfortable for her. If she can only comfortably read at a 1st grade level, that's fine. Keep her mostly reading there and slowly introduce 2nd grade level books.

Find all the vocabulary games you can that are age appropriate and play as a family. Make it fun and trust me, it will help.

One thing that helped my ADHD kid with a below-grade reading level was a tablet for reading. He got embarrassed that he wasn't reading the same types of books as his peers and the tablet with kindle app really helped. he was also embarassed checking out "kiddie" books at the library but was able to use the Libby app on his tablet to check out all the books he wanted at his comfortable reading level.