IQ Testing for kids

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Figment's Girl

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Sep 6, 2007
Does anyone know where you can get IQ testing for young children? Like 5? We have talked about getting our DS5 tested in jest due to the intelligence he has shown to us and his teachers and I was wondering if anyone knew where you could get one done?
 
I think a child needs to be at least 6 or 7 to test. DH's grandmother was a school psychologist and tested kids and I remember her saying it really is not accurate until they are at least 6. If I was really interested though, I would start with my pediatrician and ask for suggestions.....
 
I think a child needs to be at least 6 or 7 to test. DH's grandmother was a school psychologist and tested kids and I remember her saying it really is not accurate until they are at least 6. If I was really interested though, I would start with my pediatrician and ask for suggestions.....

Thanks, I had no idea what age they even considered too young.
 
Thanks, I had no idea what age they even considered too young.

I am certainly not an expert, but DH's grandmother taught 1st grade for years and then went on to get a Master's degree in school psychology. She was telling me that when she was studying, she needed to test people and she used DH because we was about 10 at the time but would not test her other DGS because he was only about 5 and that was too young to get accurate results.....
 
I see you are in Indianapolis! My kids were tested in kindergarten because Lawrence starts their gifted program in first grade. I'm not sure where you live. A true IQ test is one on one so I don't have a true score, but I have a pretty good idea. They test all kindergarten students in January so some would still be five. After the initial screening, the kids are pulled out for further testing, but it is still small group. Actually, they do a short one-on-one test, but I still don't think it is the true IQ test. When it is all said and done, there are about four scores per child.


The private school Sycamore tests five year olds, but I am sure you have to pay for it. I would bet that some of the private tutoring companies might test so they can see a child's ability verse what they are achieving.
 
My DD6.5 is a special needs child and has been seeing a psychologist for about 2.5 years. The psychologist needed to get a basic idea of DD's IQ when we first started working with her, but she told us at 4yo DD was too young to go through a full test. The psychologist said she gave DD a "cognitive screener." It's quicker which is good for young children. It won't give you a real accurate IQ, but it can give you a basic idea of where your child is. For example, we were told DD's IQ was at the high end of average but that the actual number produced shouldn't be relied on. At 6, DD was given a more extensive IQ test which confirmed that the cognitive screener was pretty accurate. We were also told that she would likely do better on IQ tests as she gets older. While IQ tests are supposed to measure innate intelligence, schooling and life experience contribute to higher scores.
 
We've had testing performed by a psychologist (PhD) who specializes in education issues. A neurologist referred us.
It may be worth asking your pediatrician for some names he/she recommends.

I think it is a good idea in certain situations. My youngest DS has special needs and is tested often.
But, more like your case, my older DS is very bright. He was getting into trouble in first grade for not paying attention, not doing his work, etc. The teacher just saw a lazy kid. I thought otherwise and had him tested. He has a "gifted" IQ (whatever you want to call it). He was bored in class. With that information, the school made some adaptations and he stopped getting into trouble. If we had not tested, who knows what could have happened to his education.
 


I think it depends on what you want to get out of the testing. Do you feel he is WAY smarter than all the other kids and should be in a gifted program? If so, and you are not getting that suggestion from his teacher, then you might want to pursue it, but for educational purposes, I believe the school has to do the testing in order for it to "count" for them to be considered for any special programs.

If it's just for your own information, or to find out what his strengths and weaknesses are (in areas of thinking), then there are many private companies that will do this for you.

DS5 just had IQ testing done as part of a triennial evaluation through the School District (he has high functioning autism and is in special education). His results showed an "above average" IQ, but when you looked at the breakdown in different area scoring, he was off the charts (WELL above the statistical "very superior" mark) in spatial relations and math--he scored at sixth grade level for those, but "below average" in reading comprehension and auditory processing speed, where he ranked in the "pre K grade level". So, "very very superior" plus "below average" = "above average" intelligence.

The results made no difference to us. He will still be placed in a special ed. classroom for 1st grade, due to social issues.

For kids this age, you don't get an "IQ number score". That is done with much older kids and adults, because most of the true IQ test relies on acquired information and word problems that you have to work out the answers in your head.
 
I also hear it's not completely accurate until middle school. My son was in special ed. so had his IQ tested pre-verbally and ranked "superior" then they re-tested when he was talking around 4 or 5 and again it was in the superior range. I thought it must be pretty accurate but when they tested him in 4th grade he was "above average" which is probably the most accurate. However, he's still "superior" in certain subjects, like math. It's so hard to tell but the latest research seems to be pointing to middle school as the most accurate. They say kids don't develop intelligence in a gradual curve but in peaks. When you test a child (right before a peak or during a peak) can be the difference of you being told your child is gifted or not. So, if your child doesn't do well on the IQ test just remember he could be in a "pre-peak" development. On the same hand, if he scores really high (like my son) don't get too excited because he might have been in a peak, like I think my son was. Good luck!:thumbsup2
 
If you are in a responsive school district, they should be able to provide testing. Some districts are better than others about testing and recognizing the needs at earlier ages vs. waiting until late elem years.

DS was tested in K, a few months before he turned 6. It was on the recommendation of a pull out teacher. His K teacher did not think he was gifted. There are different types of IQ tests as well as achievement tests. He had 1 of each that were administered by a school psych. We were completely happy with the process but I have heard from other parents that some districts are much harder to work with. Maybe because the rec came from a teacher, we had a much easier time & they suggested it to us. Then suggested accomodations related to the results.
 
Before you get any testing done, you really should step back and examine your reasons for wanting testing. There are a couple good ones--as people have mentioned, you soemtimes need test scores to get the school to respond, and I can definitely see it for children with special needs, so that a program can be tailored for their strengths and weaknesses.

Outside of cases like those, however, I don't recommend rushing to get a child tested, for several reasons. First off, as others have mentioned, there's accuracy issues. Secondly, whether you mean to or not, the child becomes "The kid with the X IQ". Even if X is a good number, it's still a label. You want your child to feel loved and valued, regardless of some test score. Along the same lines, children frequently self-identify and brag about such numbers.

My oldest two tested gifted (in 4th grade--the school did the testing). #3 (DD7) is what I call "Holy crap!" gifted--they did standardized testing at the beginning of first grade, and the teacher said she'd never seen scores like that before. We see that she gets plenty of enrichment, both in and out of a school setting. She also dances, plays baseball, and is quite good at the violin. She was reading at 2, and needed reading glasses at the ripe old age of 6! My point is, our job isn't to "raise a genius"--it's to raise the child we've been given. It's to cherish and love her for who she is, and to appreciate the particular set of talents she was born with. We do that with all 4 children.

Now understand, if any of my kids needed testing for some reason, I would have it done in a heartbeat. But it would have to be for their benefit, not just for my ego. I don't mean this in a nasty way at all--it can be exciting to parent a very bright child. You may even have a genius on your hands. But, only test if it will provide a benefit for him, and enjoy who he is. And take it from one who's there--parenting a "Holy crap!" kid isn't always the barrel of laughs people think it would be.
 
I am one that feels that every child should be IQ tested, because those tests can really give you an idea of their strengths and weaknesses. I don't think the GRADES need to be divulged, because that tends to create a problem. If teachers and parents had access to that kind of information, we could create individual learning plans to help each child. I know this will never happen, but I wish it would.

DS was first tested when he was 6, because his teacher thought he was ADHD. He wasn't and scored a pretty average 98. Over the years, he has been tested as part of a research study and also to find out if he had learning disabilities, 4 times. His IQ has increased every time and is now 126, even with a few areas where he scores two grades below normal. What's funny, is that his high intelligence does not really show up in school grades; his intelligence is more in abstract concepts.

I guess my point is that IQ does not correlate to being school smart necessarily. It is just one way to measure intelligence.

Marsha
 
My 3rd DD had her IQ tested as part of being tested for learning disabilities. She has an IQ of 135 and is dyslexic. The total cost was $1400 and was not covered by insurance.
Most schools will give children an "Iowa Test of Basic Skills" (or equivalent) at some point which can help give a basic idea of a child's IQ.
I don't think there is much point to IQ testing unless you need it for something specific (like an admission requirement for a gifted program). Having a high IQ is just a number, it doesn't tell you much about a child's ability to function or what their potential is. I almost fell over when we found out our DD had such a high IQ as she'd never done anything precociously. It was pretty much found by accident as I figured she had LD since I couldn't seem to teach her to read.
I think we get so wrapped up in numbers and figures. IQ score might give you bragging rights but not much else. I don't think that it is by any means a marker of a child's potential or future success. There are so many other variables involved.
JMHO.
 
I second the PPs who've suggested making a list of why you want to have your child tested, and what kinds of benefit you see from the testing.

My daughter was tested once, when she was 4 years and 2 months. (I just pulled out the paperwork.) My son was tested twice - once at 4 years 10 months and again at 8 years and 11 months.

My daughter's testing (a full battery of tests including the WISC-R) got her access to our school district's Gifted program. My son's first round of testing was inconclusive, although it did give us some early warning that we might be looking at a learning disability. My son's second round of testing got him access to the school district's Gifted program, starting in Grade 5, but also confirmed a fairly severe learning disability.

So, basically, we tested two four year olds, and only one test actually told us anything useful. The other one had to be redone when the child was 8.

Testing is expensive! We were lucky in that my husband's insurance covered most of it, but we were still 300 dollars out of pocket for each round of testing.

We did not get an IQ score for our children's test - we got percentiles and grade levels. I have never shown my children their tests, and never will. They once asked me what their IQs were and I told them they're both smart enough and beyond that it just doesn't matter.

And btw, gifted teenagers are just that - teenagers. Most of the time, unless they're doing something like winning a math competition, you can't tell them apart from any other teenager. A four year old dragging a hard cover volume of Harry Potter around is immediately noticeable and causes comment. A 14 year old with a copy of *any* book - not such a big deal. :laughing: I don't think learning is a race, any more than growing up should be a race. Take your time, make friends, wander off on side trips, admire the view, and be thankful that you can pull your child out of school for trips to Disney without adversely affecting their education. :woohoo:

Have fun with your bright little boy!
 
I 100% agree with the PP'S!

DD15 is gifted in language arts. She's also a hard worker with a great attitude. Although she has many typical teen moments--don't even get me started on her room!--I know she'll succeed in whatever field she goes into. Not because she's gifted, but because she's a hard work with a positive attitude.

DS13 is smarter than his older sister, but excels in math areas. He's also lazy, unmotivated, and can't seem to manage to turn in the homework he has completed. He frustrates me no end! He does the work, then loses the homework sheet!

Then we have the 7yo, and our youngest is 4. He's our little engineer--Dh and I are both engineers, we recognize the specific personality traits. He seems smart enough, not in "Holy crap!" range that we've seen, but he has that little engineering mind working. He cracks us up.

So, there you have it--4 kids from the same gene pool, all (likely) gifted, all with very distinct personalities and strengths. Most days, I wouldn't trade any of them.
 
My 3rd DD had her IQ tested as part of being tested for learning disabilities. She has an IQ of 135 and is dyslexic. The total cost was $1400 and was not covered by insurance.
Most schools will give children an "Iowa Test of Basic Skills" (or equivalent) at some point which can help give a basic idea of a child's IQ.
I don't think there is much point to IQ testing unless you need it for something specific (like an admission requirement for a gifted program). Having a high IQ is just a number, it doesn't tell you much about a child's ability to function or what their potential is. I almost fell over when we found out our DD had such a high IQ as she'd never done anything precociously. It was pretty much found by accident as I figured she had LD since I couldn't seem to teach her to read.
I think we get so wrapped up in numbers and figures. IQ score might give you bragging rights but not much else. I don't think that it is by any means a marker of a child's potential or future success. There are so many other variables involved.
JMHO.

The ITBS is not an IQ nor an ability test, it is an achievement test.

Good ability tests are the WISC, CoGat, OLSAT-8, and the SB5.

When you test a child for either giftedness or sped, a child is given an ability test and an achievement test to see if the child is working to their ability. If there is a 15 to 20 point discrepancy then the child could have a learning disability. A gifted childs ability score should be similar to their achievement score. Superior begins around 120.

Many kids who are tested in kindergarten and are deemed gifted tend to level out by 3rd grade. That is why many places don't do gifted placement before the 3rd grade.

I have given many of these tests to children in the middle school years of school. Many of these kids were tested in 3rd grade, were borderline and did not qualify for gifted at that time. Half the kids that I then tested again in either 6th or 7th grade did qualify. The other half usually had higher achievement scores than ability scores.
 
My DDs preschool teacher insisted that I talk with her school before she started K so they could see what they would be dealing with. (So it was a bit after she turned 5.)

They did 1:1 testing for over an hour. I believe they did a "basic knowlege" part of the WISC, some type of maturity test, and a reading level test. I knew more about it at the time.. but she's in middle school now.

We needed this info as evidence to have her work differentiated in K and then (when that didn't work) to help have a grade skip approved. (She is also *holy crap* smart.. no idea where she came from...)

In 3rd grade all the kids are given the OLSAT and this is the major deciding factor as to who is in the challenge pull out program.
 
:rotfl: OK- I had to laugh at the "holy crap" smart comments - I've apparently got one of those, too . To the OP - I think the school system is often the way to go, though you can find private psychologists who do testing also. My son was tested recently - towards the end of 1st grade. We knew he was "smart" - but after hearing his teacher (31 years teaching) say she had never worked with anyone like him; and his principal (15 years experience) telling us the same thing - I think "holy crap" just about sums it up. :scared1: Just remember - that whatever the results, if you go ahead and test - he is still a kid (even though he may think he's older and smarter than you) :)
 
I 100% agree with the PP'S!
DS13 is smarter than his older sister, but excels in math areas. He's also lazy, unmotivated, and can't seem to manage to turn in the homework he has completed. He frustrates me no end! He does the work, then loses the homework sheet!

I have a DS12 that does the same thing!

My DDs preschool teacher insisted that I talk with her school before she started K so they could see what they would be dealing with. (So it was a bit after she turned 5.)

They did 1:1 testing for over an hour. I believe they did a "basic knowlege" part of the WISC, some type of maturity test, and a reading level test. I knew more about it at the time.. but she's in middle school now.

We needed this info as evidence to have her work differentiated in K and then (when that didn't work) to help have a grade skip approved. (She is also *holy crap* smart.. no idea where she came from...)

In 3rd grade all the kids are given the OLSAT and this is the major deciding factor as to who is in the challenge pull out program.

The boys' school is a small Catholic one and I know they do an interview before class starts as well as a long questionaire. However they do not have a 'gifted' program per se, so we are thinking they might skip him ahead.

:rotfl: OK- I had to laugh at the "holy crap" smart comments - I've apparently got one of those, too . To the OP - I think the school system is often the way to go, though you can find private psychologists who do testing also. My son was tested recently - towards the end of 1st grade. We knew he was "smart" - but after hearing his teacher (31 years teaching) say she had never worked with anyone like him; and his principal (15 years experience) telling us the same thing - I think "holy crap" just about sums it up. :scared1: Just remember - that whatever the results, if you go ahead and test - he is still a kid (even though he may think he's older and smarter than you) :)

I'll keep it in mind. If the school doesn't have anything (It's small) I'm sure the diocese will. And if we feel that the school is too small to offer him the extras that he may need, there are larger Catholic schools not too far away that I know probably have them.
 
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