The Measure of Intelligence...

I have a rhetorical question - mostly for educators and psychologists: Why are standardized IQ tests used with people who are on the spectrum, that clearly were not made to measure their IQ  accurately. I bring this up particularly because of my son's triennial review that will be done at both school and with our regional center (a state run agency to help people with autism and mental / intellectual delays). The school cannot do an actual IQ test, but they can use a similar type of test to show what kiddos know. The regional centers (or state agencies) however, are allowed to use an IQ test, that will inevitably show that my son has an "intellectual delay". My biggest issue is that they are going to use a standard test which has been shown to not be accurate when trying to measure the IQ of a person with an ASD.

Above are some examples of the basic tools used, not necessarily the ones that will be used by everyone. The biggest problem for us is the fact that our boys have taken several months to get comfortable with their ABA instructors and teachers at school. It has taken a long time to build a rapport with them, and they don't always work well for them, especially when they're having an off day. Yet, they are expected to show how much they know with someone they don't know, being asked to do things that they may not have worked on before. Talk about stacking the deck against the person. I have wondered if I was just being ridiculous when I thought about the IQ tests like this. This is how the tests are done - they use the same test standards for spectrum kiddos they use for typical kids. Our kiddos do not learn the same as typical kids, what makes them think they will respond like typical kids? Autistic kiddos don't learn at the same pace or with the same standards... why test them like they do.

I was so excited to see that a study has finally been done on this topic. (This is a topic that really fires me up)! This gives me hope that someday the IQ "standards" will be changed to include spectrum kiddos. The autism support network printed this article on the topic:

http://www.autismsupportnetwork.com/news/puzzle-hidden-ability-autism-212333

Like most parents (I'm sure) I look at my kiddos for every day and I see so much untapped potential, so many things that prove they are extremely smart. There is no way they would be deemed as having an intellectual disability if they were actually able to test them properly. I know many parents who feel the same way. I see it in the kiddos in my boys PALS (Playing to Learn and Socialize) class - I see it in the stores with kiddos I know have autism. It's so hard to truly asses our kiddos, because they are not always "on" (available for learning or communicating in some way). Parents usually get to see both sides, the days they are "off" and the days they are "on". The days that they "blow you away" with what they know and what they can do. Everything I've found out from researching shows us that autistic children (and adults) hear everything. They learn so much from what they see, hear and are taught directly. Because of this and the fact that most people with an ASD have a remarkable memory, you can be sure that everything they've learned is inside. It's simply a matter of "getting it out" of them.

From a mother's heart - hopefully someday everyone will the intelligence in our kiddos and they will truly get all the help they need.