Anonymous wrote:As someone with a high IQ (not that high though) I have found it to be more a curse than a blessing. I’d rather be just above average. But we don’t get to choose.

+1. My kids are above average, but not as high as mine, and occasionally I have to check myself when they don't understand something intuitively that I would have. But ultimately I do know that it's a good thing for them to have to work a little harder day to day. They're bright enough that they will be able to do whatever they want, as long as they put the work in, but not so bright that keeping them challenged is a struggle or they can't fit in with their peers. Like a PP said, I think there's a sweet spot and life is easiest if you fall within that range. Particularly because college admissions and career success isn't a guarantee for bright kids anymore, so a strong work ethic and other soft factors are even more critical if your child has their sights set on that pathway.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, the great news about modern day is that therapy and mental health drugs are easily accessible and no longer taboo. If you see mental health struggles arising, you have tools to help your child that previous generations did not have access to.

Oh yes just drug the child when in doubt

Unfortunately many disorders have no pharmacological treatment. I know you meant it as an anti-drug comment, but actually, drugs save many people with atypical brain functioning:
1. ADHD stimulants are by far and away, the most successful psychiatric drugs ever conceived, in terms of safety, efficacy, and side-effects. My son could not have graduated high school without them (even though for him, they did produce very problematic side effects).
2. Some meds for anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder have also been proven to be work quite well with minimal side effects.

Autism cannot be medicated, and usually, that's what people with high IQs tend to have. You can work on the fringes, with anxiety meds if they're too anxious or are too impacted by their OCD, or ADHD stimulants if they display executive functioning problems... but the core communication problems need long-term behavioral therapy, the earlier the better.

Interesting about the giftedness masking other traits or differences… it does seem easy to compensate, until you can’t and it all falls apart

OP back. My sense is that the desirability of high IQ has changed. When I was a child, everyone coveted the highest scores for their kids, pupils, etc. A score like 155 would almost guarantee you admission to an elite independent school and a scholarship.

I’ve anecdotally heard that today’s private schools don’t want the kids in the 150s. Too hard to meet their needs, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Why are kids taking IQ tests?

All the autists do

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or would you worry that the high intelligence will almost surely come with anxiety or some other struggle? And that your child won’t be well-served in school?

Probably the latter in that they'd likely be on the spectrum, have anxiety or some other such. But, it doesn't matter either way, you get the child you get not the one you wish you got and you'll love and support them regardless.

This! My kid is 145 and has high anxiety and selective mutism. It comes with challenges. Love they way they come, no matter how they come - everyone has something to work on.

Anonymous wrote:OP, the great news about modern day is that therapy and mental health drugs are easily accessible and no longer taboo. If you see mental health struggles arising, you have tools to help your child that previous generations did not have access to.

Oh yes just drug the child when in doubt

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks, everyone. Any more thoughts on the diminishing returns? Does the intelligence just “come with” with the mental health issues? Or is it something about how the gifted person is affected by the world?

When I look at the genetic line in the family that leads to this child, every person has/had emotional problems and few are at all successful. None seem on the spectrum but more crippled by anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and fear of failure.

To the PP who said it’s not that high, I see what you mean. None of these people exhibit savant-like traits or were even precocious readers. But they are extremely fast learners, amazing at puzzles, test very well with no prep etc.

ADHD/ASD/anxious/gifted family here. The label autism, for good or ill, applies to high-functioning types that you wouldn't necessarily recognize as autistic if you weren't aware of the range. If the person displays perfectionism, mental rigidity, very high standards and/or OCD tendencies, then that's the profile. Studies have found that autism (as in, socio-communication issues) rarely comes alone. It comes with some executive function and anxiety traits, and is often associated with poor sleep and OCD-like behavior. If there's high IQ in the mix, it's easy to miss, because some of the dysfunctional symptoms are masked when the person is happy/well-rested and hyperfocused on their subjects of interest.

OP, the great news about modern day is that therapy and mental health drugs are easily accessible and no longer taboo. If you see mental health struggles arising, you have tools to help your child that previous generations did not have access to.

OP here. Thanks, everyone. Any more thoughts on the diminishing returns? Does the intelligence just “come with” with the mental health issues? Or is it something about how the gifted person is affected by the world?

When I look at the genetic line in the family that leads to this child, every person has/had emotional problems and few are at all successful. None seem on the spectrum but more crippled by anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and fear of failure.

To the PP who said it’s not that high, I see what you mean. None of these people exhibit savant-like traits or were even precocious readers. But they are extremely fast learners, amazing at puzzles, test very well with no prep etc.

Anonymous wrote:My sexy wife has a 140 is that good?

If those are the 2 most important things you can think to say about her, i'd say no, that is not good.

The 150 plus group I knew all dropped out of high school

My sexy wife has a 140 is that good?

Why are kids taking IQ tests?

The law of diminishing returns in IQ is real and I’d be pretty worried at anything 145+, same as I’d worry for anything below 90.

The sweet spot is 110-145.