Newly Diagnosed and low IQ

Hi, i'm a 34 year old female recently diagnosed with Autism from Belgium. 

It wasn't big news to hear i'm on the spectrum because i kinda knew already that this was the case since longer and i have a brother who is on the spectrum as well, and probably my father too who is undiagnosed. 

I always refused to get myself tested because i was a happy and bright girl and tried to be independent like my peers but it was always with a mask on and great difficulties. Everything is a struggle, from going to bed at night on time (always slept very late) to being anxious about new situations and change, scared what other people may think of me in social situations, getting dressed on time and what to wear, getting out of the house is a big struggle, crossing the streets etc... 

And yet, i'm a very clever woman, i like philosophical topics, i like to act and perform on stage, i like music and good at it, writing and so on, i have manners and etiquette and i have a good eye for detail and good taste for furniture and clothes. I'm very good in speech and communication, and always know what to say to people in certain situations even offer help, in short, most of my friends and people i know see me as a very intelligent person and YET, i scored 65 on the IQ test they offered me during my testing which is extremely low. I always knew i had learning difficulties and that i'm slow in picking up things but that my IQ would be so low, is a slap in the face...I am desperate for answers and people in my environment are shocked by this result. The place where i took the test called me mentally weak (don't want to use the R word) They told me its due to my autism, that my autism is bringing down my intelligence (in the moment) I can relate to that cause when i did the IQ test i was often nervous and had a hard time focussing on things. So it surely pushes down my intelligence but i don't want to be on par with people who have mental weaknesses such as people with let's say Down Syndrome, although i think those people are amazing and lovely people. But i'm so confused because you would never guess i have such a low IQ on hearing me talk and meeting me. Most people are even shocked i have Autism cause i blend in well with other people. I do tend to have a unique look on life and i'm very compassionate but that graces me.

So i'm wondering what those IQ tests actually mean on people with autism and i'm thinking the worst now, and i have been crying since then. Feeling so worthless and small now. But it's probably very different from other people with mental challenges. I don't know, can someone tell me more?

Thanks so much!

Moonmaiden

    • Well I’m really envious of you. I have an IQ of 150, was 2 years ahead in maths at school, but have been hopeless in social and artistic skills and been in deep trouble with police and financial loss. If I had your skills I’d be in a much better place and good life expectancy.
    • IQ scores were invented by scientists and so are biased to make us look good when we have huge problems 
  • I agree with that . I wonder what the minimum IQ needed to use a computer and the internet is .

  • Indeed, I imagine that the average IQ of forum members is quite high but it may be different for study participants taken from a different population of people.


  • It suggests either the scientists are racist, or that your ethnic background is a big determinant of your intelligence. I'm not sure which is the better answer.

    I think more perhaps that the format of an intelligence recognition system is similar in effect to a particular language, and being that there are many languages there are many types of intelligence and one is no greater a sign of mental capacity than any other ~ just better suited in particular locations where the language is used or instances when it is spoken.


  • The trouble with that is that PIQ>VIQ isn't applicable to all on the spectrum .  Some of us have a VIQ much > than our PIQ .  That suggests tailoring the IQ test to the individual should be the most important thing rather than whether RPM is used or not .

  • I agree with Kitsune that it is unlikely you have moderate learning difficulties.
    It is a scientifically established well known fact that the test that they used on you underestimates autistic intelligence by as much as 75 points (!) That means you could have an IQ of 135...
    It is documented in these article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25308198

    This article shows which test is more reliable for measuring autistic intelligence:  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01954.x

    If this upsets you, ask for a second opinion using Raven progressive matrices.
    You may tell your doctor that they should have known WISC is unreliable for autistic people and they should have used a different assessment. You paid them money, they should come up with the goods that are meeting your needs.

  • It suggests either the scientists are racist, or that your ethnic background is a big determinant of your intelligence. I'm not sure which is the better answer.

  • For reference, Forrest Gump was supposedly around 70/80 IQ. A fictional character I know, but it gives you an idea.


  • That map raises some uncomfortable issues. Whether it is right, or whether it is wrong, it suggests that scientific research is driven partly by politics.

    Yes ~ sociologically very much. Bias is often overlooked or little considered. Check out for instance the '9 Types of Unconscious Bias and the Shocking Ways They effect Your Recruiting Efforts' article via this link:


    https://www.socialtalent.com/blog/diversity-and-inclusion/9-types-of-bias


  • Hi!

    As the others say above, it's impossible for you to have 65 IQ. I have met people with 65 IQ but only in nursing homes as they has troubles with taking care of themselves. And based of your writing, your IQ has to be much-much higher.

    I know what you're feeling, I felt the same when I did an IQ test and it turned out to be around 100, because I hoped it to be higher. Next time I had to do an IQ test in school, I scored 140 because that was the highest possible score on that certain test (if you got every question right, that would mean 140).

    The problem probably was for me, that I'm really bad at math, and the first IQ test have decent amount math in it. The second one had shapes and patterns, so it was really easy for me, but my classmates struggled, some scored even 90. So it really depends on a type of IQ test you do. I was just saying my own example, everyone's different. (Also I'm neurotypical)

    If the result still makes you sad, maybe you should also try the second one with patterns and shapes, because it's harder to misinterpret since it has no text, and the teacher who made us do it is also teaching in a school for kids with special learning needs, so they use it for kids with ASD. The only problem is that since we did it on paper, I don't know if it's available on the internet.

    Also the accurateness of the IQ tests really depends of the region, because for example the circumstances growing up, education and living are different. It can even depend on your current mood.

    I hope I could help!

  • That map raises some uncomfortable issues. Whether it is right, or whether it is wrong, it suggests that scientific research is driven partly by politics.

  • I don't actually believe from what you've written there you have an IQ in the 65 range. You write clearly in English, yet it must be your second language after French, Flemish or German.

  • Certainly a lot may depend on the makeup of the study participants . 

  • I agree with plastic. Also think back to how the questions were worded and if you understood them the wrong way. I do this often. I'm usually very literal

  • It depends on which of the many thousands of research papers on the subject that you read. This paper complicates matter further:

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4927579/

  • Hello. 

    I've done a few IQ tests online. From what I've read they're not really to be trusted result wise because it's not done in a controlled, professional situation. 

    But I get low IQ scores, in fact, It's embarrassing for me, but I get borderline intellectual disability on online IQ tests, including the one posted on this thread. 

    There is a chance it's correct I guess.  

  • Full scale 95

    Memory 77 VM17/85 EM 20/26

    Verbal 156  V32/34 A  26/27

    Spatial 85  MR 2/17 MC 3/12 

  • RESULTS:

    Of the 75 children with ASD, 55% had an intellectual disability (IQ<70) but only 16% had moderate to severe intellectual disability (IQ<50); 28% had average intelligence (115>IQ>85) but only 3% were of above average intelligence (IQ>115). There was some evidence for a clinically significant Performance/Verbal IQ (PIQ/VIQ) discrepancy but discrepant verbal versus performance skills were not associated with a particular pattern of symptoms, as has been reported previously. There was mixed evidence of a characteristic subtest profile: whereas some previously reported patterns were supported (e.g. poor Comprehension), others were not (e.g. no 'peak' in Block Design). Adaptive skills were significantly lower than IQ and were associated with severity of early social impairment and also IQ

    www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/.../21272389

  • Well you're about as good ,or maybe slightly better than me, on the memory part . Better than me on the spatial part . The verbal part could be affected by you not being well versed  in the English language . A verbal test from a site in Belgium  would no doubt result in a much higher score for you .

  • Took the test in my own comfort zone, not much distractions, tried to focus hard but it took a long time. If this was on time, it would be less again. :(  (I did not understand all words though so i had to translate some, as my first language is not english but i think this result is close)

    Full Scale IQ
    80
    Memory IQ
    86
    Verbal IQ
    92
    Spatial IQ
    102
    VM: 39 / 85
    V: 14 / 34
    MR: 8 / 17
    EM: 7 / 26
    A: 8 / 27
    MC: 3 / 12