Testing and Assessment

At some point, either because you see signs of Outlier in yourself or in your child (or someone else does), the question of testing might come up.  A school might offer testing on site (eh, we don't recommend that--too much distraction in a room with other kids and you want as accurate as you can get).  You may choose to go to a private psychologist.  You might be tempted to try one of those online ones (don’t, they are invalid).

Here are some things to consider:

1)  An Outlier brain is not a normal brain.  It processes differently, experiences differently.

People need to be assessed, not just tested.  A good assessor will know, for example, that Outliers tend to have very slow processing speeds (perfectionism) and would not allow that to artificially depress the IQ score.

To that end, get an evaluator that specializes (yes, SPECIALIZES) in Outliers.  It takes a bit of work, but it is worth it if you can find one.

2)  A “2E”  kid (or adult) will have incredible coping skills for their weakness.  However, a simple test will not be able to differentiate between “Normal IQ” and “High IQ that is able to compensate for, say, dyslexia”.  A good evaluator should know to test IQ in the morning when the brain is fresh, and for exceptionalities such as dyslexia, etc in the afternoon after the brain is wearied and has trouble compensating.  You want an accurate picture of strengths and weaknesses.

3)  A child will never test higher than they really are.  They cannot “guess” their way higher.  However, they can test lower than they really are.  This is important to note if the test scores and the behaviors are not matching up.  Illness, anxiety, grouchiness, a poor fit with the evaluator, all can contribute to a lower test score.

4)  The standard test that is used today, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, is very good at evaluating most of the intelligence spectrum, particularly the lower to middle.  However, it does have a “ceiling”—meaning a child can be smarter than the test will show.  In fact, Wechsler himself said that his test was not meant for the higher end of the spectrum.  They have made changes since the first iteration, but it is something to consider.  You might consider going to an outdated, but still useful, Stanford-Binet long form.  We did not with our Outliers, but it is an option.

5)  It is important that your child be tested, particularly if the child is showing signs of brilliance and/or signs of struggle that are causing him or her difficulty in class--unless you plan to homeschool.  If you are going to homeschool, then you can move at whatever pace the child needs:  fast, slow, and sometimes both.  We have mentioned a particular Outlier who, as a child, did not read until she was 8.  Soon after, she was able to skip three grades in English.  She was homeschooled and therefore there was no stigma of late reading nor battles with the DoE over grade skipping.

6)  A child who is brilliant will not always get A’s in class.  In fact, a child might get all F’s.  Do not allow administrators to say “Obviously he is not gifted, or his grades would be better.”.  Bad grades can be caused by a myriad of reasons including:  learning or processing struggles, emotional struggles, motivational struggles, or a desire to buck the system.

7)  It can be unnerving to get your child tested.  It will seem like a reflection on your ability to raise children (it's not, anymore than their shoe size is a reflection on your parenting).  You might be disappointed because your child did not score well (don't be, they have their specific traits to do the work they were made to do.  Remember, this is merely a position on a bell curve, not a statement of worth.)…..or because they did (don't be, this is who the Lord made them to be).  You might feel overwhelmed (yep, that's ok).  Your child might feel disappointed if they did not do well, or upset if they did--help them understand that their IQ is like their shoe size:  just a number that helps them find the best educational fit for their brain (like a shoe size helps them find the best fit for their foot).  Seek out resources if your child is an Outlier such as the SENG Website

8)  Having more than one child can increase the complexity—do you tell the children what their scores are?  What if there is one that scored significantly higher than the other?  We told both their scores, emphasizing their individual strengths, but they were old enough and mature enough not to make it a battlefield.  Additionally, do not forget that someone can score lower than they are.

9)  Scores do not equal success.  Really, they don't.  A high IQ means only that:  a high IQ.  It does not guarantee success, struggle, emotional issues (or lack thereof), good grades, or anything else.  It is just a piece of information.  How successful the child is depends on the child and the environment, no matter what the IQ score is.  There have been many more extremely successful people with normal IQ’s than extremely successful geniuses.

10)  No matter what the score is, your child is still your child and still precious, unique, and has a very special place in this world to do good things.  If  your child is not an Outlier, that is fine--it would just get in the way of their true calling. 

For example, I am not talented in basketball--it is not my calling.  If my folks forced me to try to be something I was not, then that would interrupt the pursuit of my true calling. 

Let me restate:  If your child is NOT an Outlier, then that is actually good news for them as it would get in the way of their true calling.  Their true calling does not require them to be an Outlier, and it would actually mess them up.  If they are an Outlier, then that is part of their calling.  If they are not an Outlier then that is not part of their calling in life.  It makes no difference either way, what is important is that they are nurtured to find the path THEY are supposed to follow.

Shall I emphasize that again?  It really needs to stick.  You got it?  You sure?  Ok.

Feel free to ask any questions about assessment.  If we don't have the answer, we can find someone who does.  The only question we cannot answer that we know of is "Who in my area does intelligence testing?".  We have no idea; the world is a big place.  We recommend looking at the Hoagies Gifted Education Page or getting in touch with your local gifted education group (you can generally find them on facebook).

Now, if you know of an excellent evaluator in your area, please list them below.  Thanks.