Can anyone help tell me what tests are used to diagnose learning disablilties/IQ of children?

Question

A friend of mine had her child tested privately and the results told her that her kid had a severe learning disability and an IQ of 60. This seems way off to me, her daughter is very observant and engaging. How could she have made it to grade six with none of her teachers noticing any problems and has not been in any resource program?

The learning diability diagnosis I can understand, she does have difficulty in filtering out miscellaneous noise and needs complete silence to concentrate. However an IQ of 60 is extremely low, students in resource and IPP programs where I am have an average IQ of 80-90. It's difficult to interpret that score though if you don't know what scale was used to determine it. I'd like to know if anyone would know the name of the test so I can research it.

Answer 1

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition is usually the IQ test given. It is broken down into 4 parts: Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory, and Processing Speed. Then of course, you have the full scale score, which is a composite of the 4 areas. A full scale score of 60, really doesn't tell the whole story. I would like to know how she performed in each of the 4 areas and on each of the subtests within the areas. I tested a girl who did very well on 3 of the areas, but really did poorly on one area, which brought her whole score WAY down. When determining eligibility for a learning disability I did NOT look at the full scale IQ score.

Also when determining a learning disability, it is customary to compare the IQ with academic achievement scores. A couple popular achievement tests are: Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement-III and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-II.

If this girl is MR, then her adaptive behavior scores would also be somewhere around the 60's. Around here we use the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale. By your description of her, I would doubt that her adaptive scores would be very low.

Answer 2

If they told you/her that the daughter has an IQ of 60 and a severe learning disability, then I would think there is some type of severe processing deficit that makes one score much lower than the others. Otherwise, an IQ of 60 is not a learning disability...it is mental retardation. I would have the test reviewed again to make sure I/your friend understands exactly what happened. i would also ask for a written report so you/she can have someone else interpret the results. It is entirely possible that rapport was not established and the results are low!

As to the second part of your question (how could she have gotten so far without anyone noticing) I would say that someone has noticed and they have likely done things to help her all along the way (otherwise, why would she have been tested if there was no problem?)

Answer 3

There are several tests that are used to get an IQ score, so there is really no way to tell you what test it is without further information. It is possible for there to be a composite IQ score of 60 that is really just an average of very discrepant index scores. So for example, she may have had a verbal skills index score in the low average range (80-90) and nonverbal skills index scores that were well below average (50's). In this case, the index scores would give more information about strengths and weaknesses and the composite score would be somewhat misleading. This should all be explained in the written report. It is possible for her to have made it to the 6th grade without major problems as she may have the strengths to progress in the regular classroom at the elementary level just fine or teachers may have adjusting to meet her learning needs in various ways which is what we strive for. Or she may be a student with a disability that can function fine in the regular classroom with a few accommodations and doesn't need special education services. While there aren't as many kids identified as having a disability in the middle school grades as there are in elementary grades, it does happen often enough.

Answer 4

Usually kids are give the WISC III- Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - III to determine IQ scores. There is usually a battery of tests that come up with a cumulative score. Is her total IQ 60?

I am currently working in a full-time learning support program. There is a young boy in there who is quite charming, funny, very popular....but extremely learning disabled. When his testing finally arrived at the school we were shocked to see a 65 IQ. It doesn't really fit his personality.....but it does fit his academic ability. He can be talked into anything by his peers...including dropping his pants in a cafeteria!!! You wouldn't expect it....but his behavior does sometimes fit his IQ.

On another occasion, I had a 5th grade girl who received speech and language therapy with occupational therapy for 6 years in elementary school. Her academics were always border line to low average and she was always given tutoring and extra time to complete assignments. I requested a re-evaluation because I felt we were missing something. Her IQ turned out to be 69. Everyone was shocked...because she really hung on very well with her academics. But it did explain her poor social relationships and preference for young child activities and toys.


A 60 IQ doesn't have to define a person completely. You also have to consider that the child may have been uncomfortable with the test administrator or maybe she didn't feel well that day and those factors could be responsible for the low score. She also might not have been identified because her IQ was high enough to continue to make progress in school. Only when the material becomes more abstract and requires things like research, comprehension, and independent application does she begin to look "different".

If your friend is really concerned have the school test her. She can be tested by her school district even if she goes to a private school.

I hope my information helps a little.

Answer 5

Your friend would definitely know if her child had an IQ of 60. She would have problems with math, reading, and just be pretty slow on the uptake. That said, she can be MR and still be quite observant and engaging with this IQ level.

Good LD testing is a battery of test that measure specific capabilities for both learned skills and reasoning. Your friend's daughter should be tested at a facility that is particularly designated as a LD facility; standard counselors may not know how. If she doesn't know a place, have her contact the evaluation center at the June Shelton School in Dallas, Texas and they can give her names of people around the country.

Students can measure quite differently when they are LD. A friend's daughter tested at close to 70 IQ for math, but at genius level for spacial capabilities and visual memory. This girl was not failing because she was in a montessori environment where she was never "tested" so they thought she was learning just fine.

Answer 6

Well, there is a problem here.

Learning disability? I don't think so. IQ of 69 or less is defined as mentally retarded. An IQ of 60 is extremely low, and individuals with IQ's in this range are in the bottom 0.3% of the population intellectually, cannot read, have trouble learning basic tasks and speaking properly...ect.

Are you sure this is an IQ score? There are many tests used to access someones IQ, so I can't tell you what test she took. I think someone should find out which test, because I don't think this is an IQ score. An IQ of 60 is very distinct mental retardation, and it is very obvious in an individual.

If you can't find out, have her retested.

Answer 7

Where I am from average IQ score is 100-90, low 70's is considered mentally handicapped. There are so many different tests that can be used but generally an IQ test and a curriculum test are administered and the results are compared to see if their is a discrepancy for a learning disability. The Brigance is a comprehensive inventory of basic skills where the child is tested and then scored compared to other children of that age. That is one of the tests used at the school I am student teaching at for special education.

Answer 8

A child with an IQ of 60 would not be labeled learning disabled--they would be cognitively impaired. In order to be diagnosed with a learning disability you have to have normal intelligence and your academic achievement falls significantly below what would be expected. I think there is a miscommunication in what that 60 score represents--it might be an achievement score.

Answer 9

It should of been a 1 on 1 test with a counseler every state is different i belive. But I have a Learning Disability it doesn't mean she is like serverly mentally challanged she just needs a little extra help. If the child never asks questions or tells the teacher she don't understand or anything how are they suppose to know?

Answer 10

You are correct--in the situation you describe there is no possibility the child's IQ is 60. Period. There MAY be a mild disability--or the child could simply have not yet learned to block out distractions (that is a learned skill)--and that should be checked--but by a competant professional. Whoever came up with this "evaluation" is incompetant. so on't assume the LD diagnosis is correct,. Even if there is a problem, it may not be one that is classed as LD--there are several other possibilities.