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Really? Idiot Savant? Really?
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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 324574" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>EB (and anyone else with similar concerns that IQ testing on your child won't show the child's real ability) - I recommend you ask around for private assessment (or maybe research-based, which is what we were able to access) designed specifically for children with language delay. In difficult child 3's case it was a uni-based research study which was trying to develop a valid IQ test for autistic kids, including focussing maily on non-verbal skills. At the time of testing, however, difficult child 3's language was in the normal range at last.</p><p></p><p>My own approach in general is to always work with the child in the assumption that they are very bright, but may not know about that topic. I treat them as intelligent, I respect them as such and support them to learn what they are capable of learning. I don't use my expectation to pressure them, but I do find that a child will try a lot harder if they are believed in.</p><p></p><p>I helped a woman I know, a woman who at school was "left" to her own devices because it was believed she was retarded, a woman who stopped going to school when she ws about 8 years old and was barely able to read or write - I helped her with a book about her life (very interesting - her family lived and worked in Sydney's oldest and biggest cemetery). Her first draft was a nightmare, it took me years to get through the mess of bad grammar and appalling spelling to work out what she was writing about. Often I had to ring her up and ask her to explain to me, I would type while she talked. Meanwhile she would write more (on her computer - self-taught) and would often ring me up just to ask me how to spell a simple word such as "clock". We published her book about six years ago. She went into reprints three years ago and is now working on another book. Her writing has improved a great deal in the meantime, she has also done all the marketing and all the promotion of her book. This woman was born physically handicapped in a time when it was assumed that physical handicap also meant mental handicap. She can be difficult at times (very much a difficult child!) but entirely due to having to really struggle to get what she wants. She wanted to get married - so she did. She wanted kids even though doctors said she shouldn't - so she did. Then years later she wanted a divorce - so she left her husband. She was told she would never drive a car - so she organised lessons and arranged for hand controls to be fitted to her car. Her kids would run away from her when they were tiny, so she made up some five-point harnesses to which she attached a leash and rigged it so she only had to hold one strap to hang on to two kids. She modified the harness so it would strap the boys into bed, into their high chair, into their stroller, into the car (before child restraints). Then she began to market the restraints she had made.</p><p>She did all this because her parents had taught her that there were no limits unless she accepted limits on herself.</p><p></p><p>Our expectations are what risk applying limits to the children in our lives. That's why we should always keep an open mind and support a child's learning and interests, no matter how bizarre they may seem at times. Flawed IQ testing can do so much damage in applying false limits.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 324574, member: 1991"] EB (and anyone else with similar concerns that IQ testing on your child won't show the child's real ability) - I recommend you ask around for private assessment (or maybe research-based, which is what we were able to access) designed specifically for children with language delay. In difficult child 3's case it was a uni-based research study which was trying to develop a valid IQ test for autistic kids, including focussing maily on non-verbal skills. At the time of testing, however, difficult child 3's language was in the normal range at last. My own approach in general is to always work with the child in the assumption that they are very bright, but may not know about that topic. I treat them as intelligent, I respect them as such and support them to learn what they are capable of learning. I don't use my expectation to pressure them, but I do find that a child will try a lot harder if they are believed in. I helped a woman I know, a woman who at school was "left" to her own devices because it was believed she was retarded, a woman who stopped going to school when she ws about 8 years old and was barely able to read or write - I helped her with a book about her life (very interesting - her family lived and worked in Sydney's oldest and biggest cemetery). Her first draft was a nightmare, it took me years to get through the mess of bad grammar and appalling spelling to work out what she was writing about. Often I had to ring her up and ask her to explain to me, I would type while she talked. Meanwhile she would write more (on her computer - self-taught) and would often ring me up just to ask me how to spell a simple word such as "clock". We published her book about six years ago. She went into reprints three years ago and is now working on another book. Her writing has improved a great deal in the meantime, she has also done all the marketing and all the promotion of her book. This woman was born physically handicapped in a time when it was assumed that physical handicap also meant mental handicap. She can be difficult at times (very much a difficult child!) but entirely due to having to really struggle to get what she wants. She wanted to get married - so she did. She wanted kids even though doctors said she shouldn't - so she did. Then years later she wanted a divorce - so she left her husband. She was told she would never drive a car - so she organised lessons and arranged for hand controls to be fitted to her car. Her kids would run away from her when they were tiny, so she made up some five-point harnesses to which she attached a leash and rigged it so she only had to hold one strap to hang on to two kids. She modified the harness so it would strap the boys into bed, into their high chair, into their stroller, into the car (before child restraints). Then she began to market the restraints she had made. She did all this because her parents had taught her that there were no limits unless she accepted limits on herself. Our expectations are what risk applying limits to the children in our lives. That's why we should always keep an open mind and support a child's learning and interests, no matter how bizarre they may seem at times. Flawed IQ testing can do so much damage in applying false limits. Marg [/QUOTE]
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