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Association for Higher Education and Disability?

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

What is “average to above average intelligence” defined as according to AHEAD. What IQ level in other words?

Submitted by victoria on Mon, 07/11/2005 - 1:57 PM

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IQ is *only* one measure of intelligence. The IQ number is not absolutely permanent, it can be inaccurate if there are other factors complicating the measurement, and it can be measured in various ways coming up with different ratings. Take all IQ numbers as estimates, not facts.

Average IQ is always set at 100. Of course nobody is absolutely average, and people’s scores vary from one test day to another, so we speak of the average *range*. Depending on how the particular test is set up, the average range can be up or down by 10 or 15 points (or on one old test, 20, but that one is not much used any more.) So the average range is about 90 to 110 OR 85 to 115.
So an IQ score of 85 or above would be considered average to above average. 85 might be considered low average, but definitely 90 and up is average to above average.

Submitted by Sue on Mon, 07/11/2005 - 5:05 PM

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Why do you want to know?

(Don’t assume that a low test score on any given measure will mean you get excluded from help. Folks who know disabilities know that there are far more reasons to get a low score when you’re really smart than to get a higher one than is valid ;))

Submitted by A person on Tue, 07/12/2005 - 3:12 PM

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“Don’t assume that a low test score on any given measure will mean you get excluded from help”

I don’t fall below 85 (right now) I’m just scared to death in the future if I retest I’ll get a lower score then the last time. I didn’t take the last number very well (I have a very hard time getting over things)

I also hope AHEAD doesn’t change their definition of average intelligence any time soon. I’d hate to be denied from a college education in the future.

Submitted by Sue on Tue, 07/12/2005 - 5:54 PM

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You won’t be denied a college education because of an IQ score, anyway. If you take it and get a lower score, you still have the higher one. As I said before, there are lots more reasons to score below your ability than above your ability. Most people in college admissions know this.
Colleges want students.
Then there are the other things to be afraid of, like getting in and not getting through - but like some prez or other said, “we have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Don’t let the *fear* be the thing to keep you from doing it!

Submitted by A person on Wed, 07/13/2005 - 2:46 PM

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There are only two institutions that I know of that won’t admit students who fall below a certain number. But honestly Sue, can a student who scores 80-90 on the WAIS or the WISC build up their academic skills to where they can get a score of 20 on the ACT, or a 1200 on the SAT?

According to the disability director of one instituion who I talked to, by law post secondary instituions don’t have to provide accomadations to a student who scores below an 80 on an iq test, is that true or not?

Submitted by merlinjones on Tue, 07/19/2005 - 3:48 PM

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You can ask, when you go for your l.d. testing…to have the results made as a series of strengths and weaknesses instead of having a straight up i.q. score be right there on your testing. My l.d. testing is set up that a way and no one tells me diddly squat at my uni. Oh, and by the way, I took the ACT’s back in the 1990’s and got over 20.

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