• Replies 6 replies
  • Subscribers 70 subscribers
  • Views 1433 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

IQ assessed as part of ASC assesment

NAS75657

Both my Son and neighbours Son were assessed for ASC my Son age six and received a diagnosis of ASC but no IQ score.. My neighbours Son assessed age 5 or 6 no diagnosis of ASC but an IQ score of 70. Any idea why the two results would be so different? 

  • in reply to VLD

    "High functioning" is not a term that is used in the current Diagnostic and Statical Manual  (DSM-5 Textual Revision.)  The average IQ is 100, and one standard deviation on either side puts the range at 85 - 115 for about 2/3 of the population.  For education purposes an IQ of  70 >85 is suggestive of " Moderate Learning Difficulties ".  70 is generally regarded as the cut-off for learning disability, as about 2.2% of the population will have a measured IQ of  <70.

    But IQ should be used with caution. Psychologists are now talking about "spiky profiles" when you measure individual competences.  www.employmentautism.org.uk/.../the-autism-spectrum-as-a-spiky-profile

  • in reply to VLD

    It was interesting how they assessed the IQ of my neighbours son but not mine. My neighbours sons Iq score was borderline

  • The reason is that high functioning is defined as having an IQ greater than 70. It has nothing to do with anything else.  Thus someone could be e.g. non verbal but still high functioning.

  • Intellectual disability is not in the diagnostic criteria for autism, so is not normally part of an autism assessment. However, intellectual disability is a 'comorbidity' of autism. At present, about 30% of diagnosed autistics have lower than average IQ. If a child was suspected of having both intellectual disability and autism, tests for both conditions would probably be run in tandem.

  • Possibly because the assessment starts, or should start, by looking at the presenting features and establishing what the most likely explanation is.  ASC/ not ASC is not the only possible outcome of a neuropsychological assessment.  They could conclude that the issue is actually a mental health concern, or a neurodivergence other than autistim or it may be another developmental issue or disability, such as some intellectual impairment.

    With an obviously normal to high IQ person I shouldn't think they would bother with an IQ test.  They didn't do one for me and there's no reason they should.

    70 is the bare minimum of the normal IQ range though, they may have had some concerns about intellectual disability explaining any developmental delay rather than ASC.