Let me start by saying I’m definitely not a troll; I’m not trying to mess with anyone. I really am having these issues, and my scores really are as I’ve posted. I’m not making any of it up. I really am confused and conflicted and worrying like crazy over this.
To be honest, I was really surprised when the results came back and my IQ was average. Reading so much as I have about early reading and giftedness, I thought for sure my IQ would at least be in the 120s. I certainly wasn’t expecting some genius score or anything like that, though. I think part of the problem is that, because I couldn’t afford private testing, the free testing was concerned only about addressing my LD issues and nothing else, so it wasn’t as comprehensive and was more focused that a full assessment would’ve been.
I think the reason I seem so wrapped up in this is because after years of research and believing I was a gifted reader and that it explained everything (reading before K and on a nearly 7th grade level in 4th with full comprehension despite parents who don’t read), I was finally tested and proved correct, and then I come on here and everyone’s telling me I’m not a gifted reader and I feel absolutely crushed.
I wish I could just trust the psych’s judgment.
I got my GED last year. I can’t afford college, but am pursuing a career as an author/aikido instructor.
Thanks for your time.
You and I were posting at the same time. This is a tricky one and I have just a few things I'll try to put together concisely. I can see as how having your self image questioned (average IQ, feeling that others are telling you that you are wrong) could be crushing.
I do know children and younger teens who read at a level similar to what you describe (started early, read around 7th-8th grade level by 4th grade) and who have had IQ testing done more than once on full measures (WISC, SB) and who have smack dab 50th percentile IQ scores. Knowing some of these kids, I honestly don't doubt that the IQ measures are accurate. They are good kids, great students, great readers, but not high IQ kids.
I don't think that it is out of the realm of possibility to say that someone with an average IQ can be a very advanced reader or very advanced in some other academic area. That isn't what I personally define as gifted, but as I said in my last post, there are so many different ways of defining gifted now a days that it is totally cool for you or the psych who tested you or any expert who defines gifted as high achievement in a domain to call you gifted.
The second thing is that you are posting on a forum where a lot of people have highly to profoundly gifted children by IQ measures. Our opinions are skewed as a result. We are probably looking for something more extreme as a result. Don't let us crush your self concept.
What brought you here in the first place if you were already inclined to view yourself as a gifted reader and the psych agreed? What left you asking if his report was right in the first place?
