Is I.Q testing for children like using a blunt intsrument for brain surgery?

Answer 1

An IQ test is a sort of standardized test and like all standardized test there are some severe flaws. The test try's to measure a abstract concept of "intellegence" but how do we define intellegence. Is a art prodogy more or less intellegent then a math prodogy. There is nothing wrong with taking the test but you shouldn't let it define the child. For example, when I was in grade school I was in LD classes but during middle school and high school I was in gifted classes. We just don't know enough about the brains development processes (expecially in children) to create any kind of accurate test. I hope this helps out.

Answer 2

That's an unusual analogy. Sometimes it's the only tool available. It would be nice if the test could be administered in such a way that children who have test anxiety wouldn't be placed under pressure, but at present there is no way to do that, so in that sense, it is using a blunt instrument.
In some cases it is important to administer an IQ test to discover if the child is actually impaired or is only inhibited or perhaps is autistic. In the case of children with cerebral palsy (and there are many levels of this condition) it is important to know the potential of the child, which is sometimes obscured by the physical difficulty in speaking. So until something better comes along, we'll just have to continue using the blunt instrument.

Answer 3

Not if it's done right. There are some good tests out there, but there are some real stinkers too. Check what's available in your area, find a decent, competent administrator, and conference with a good child psychologist about what's best for your child.

Answer 4

I.Q. testing is based in a particular language, it is based in somewhat of a particular ( societal norm), and therefore requires interpretation via a specialist who can account for factors that do not assimilate neatly into numerical scores.