Expert: James Michael Roan - 9/11/2006

Question
I wrote to you awile ago concerning my son who is 9. He has been diagnosed with several things. ADHD, Sensory intergration PDD-NOS,and mild retardation.My question concerned his IQ level.He has tested between 62 and 68 full scale IQ.However, on his acheivement test scores all of his subjects tested anywhere from 5 to 25 points higher than his current IQ. I held him back in school this year and he has been making all A's and B's.He has made A's on many test he failed  last year. I believe his therapy and speech has helped him progress. My question is this. If my son indeed has mild retardation would he be progressing at such an amazing level? I am waiting for him to stop progressing from everything I have read most children with retardation only acheive a 3rd t0 6th grade education. I never believed the mild retardation but I don't want to bury my head and the sand and have him suffer more in the future. He is completely independent in all areas of self care.His current level of education is about 3.3 grade level with reading being a little higher than all other areas. Do you think with his current level of progression that he will continue with the right help or is this indeed a profile of someone who has mild retardation?  

Answer
Hi Angela;

You are correct, this is NOT the profile of an individual with mild retardation. Adaptive behavior or self-help skills correlate highly with intelligence. If he has had a Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale or a Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised, then the self-help portions represented by standard scores (SS) would be a good indicator of IQ. What academic achievement tests were used that yielded the higher scores? If he had mild retardation, then his grade level would be 2-3 grade levels behind what it should be across the board in ALL subjects.

Your son is very lucky to have such a strong advocate in his mother who held her faith in him to the end. Don't ever give up on him. He will be okay.

Kind Regards,
James