Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Gifted or not

My DS4.5 has a done a IQ test several days ago, and it turns out he is not in the gifted range, IQ 12x not yet 130. However his academic skill (test done by the same tester) is well above his age, english skill at least 6 yrs old (we are non-enlgish speakers, so i did spend time to read to him and teach him phonics) and his math skill is at least 8 years old (which is underestimated as he can't understand at least 6 questions in the test because of english, but i know he know the answer). We didn't have formal teaching in his math, he just loves it so much and he always surprised us in his mathematical thinking.

So i want to ask if anyone experienced the same things or anyone can explain that why a kid is very advanced in an area but turn out that he is not gifted? or should i find a psychologist that is specialize for gifted kids to have him test again? (He did the IQ test in a folow up session as he was in high risk of autistic).

I did believe that my son if he is gifted, he will not be in HG or PG range, most likely only 13x, so the test result is more or less as expected. I just feel curious right now. However, the IQ score may be important in the future when he has to apply for GATE program, or when i need to advocate for him, that's why i am thinking should i take him to test again in the future when he is 6 or 7 years old. Thanks a lot.

My understanding is that IQ scores at your son's age are not stable, and you are correct that you should wait to retest until he is older. I would not concern myself too much with testing for him now unless it will give you information you need or you have other concerns. Also, very young kids can get tired during testing, or if they don't feel comfortable with the tester, they may not answer and they get marked as not knowing (even if they know). All these things could contribute to your son having a lower score. But there are other people on this board who may be able to give you a more educated answer.

If I'm understanding right, your son's stronger language is not English.

I wouldn't re-test him again until you feel his English proficiency has caught up to age-peers who are native English speakers.

It doesn't seem unusual on this board to read about mathematically gifted children whose IQ is not as high as their achievement in math.

Right now, in your shoes, I'd focus my energy on finding an elementary school that can meet your son's academic and social needs.

The margin of error for a score in the mid to high 120's would extend into the lower 130's.

We never tested our son when his first preschool suggested getting him evaluated. Mostly because he didn't speak English at the time. I think it is very likely that his IQ number was depressed. IQ tests are highly language/cultural dependent. I would not think this number represents his true ability at all.

IQ testing for young kids (under 7 years old) is not very reliable (because of attention span issues, tiredness, inability to understand what the test is about, inability to understand that they are being timed etc.). But, it is even more unreliable if your child does not speak english proficiently because a lot of the questions are biased towards english speakers and the lifestyles in the western world.

So, take those scores with a pinch of salt. Retest after your son turns 7 or 8 years old, then you might get a clearer picture.

As for GATE program, the eligibility is based on the private school policy or the public school district policy. In some schools, there is standardized testing + CogAT scores used to qualify for gifted programs which are not really IQ tests. In others, they have an IQ cutoff (130-135 range in my area). So, you don't have to worry about it yet.

Thanks a lot everyone, yup my son has insucciffient sleep (-3hrs) on that day but overall he is very cooperative. We are looking for school option for him so that's y we ask for a cognitive assessment. The school for the gifted need IQ>130, npbut end up we find that we can afford the tuition, so the score is meaningless now, hope I can use his academic score for advocate for him. The gate program in the public school need IQ>130 too, seems that I have to wait until his English catch up with his peer to have him test again for the GATE program.
Thanks everyone! ☺️