NewMexiKen reader Bob sent along the following:
Since you covered IQ testing yesterday here is a Newsweek article regarding how poorly standard IQ tests reflect an autistic child’s intelligence.
Comments by a mom with an autistic child to this article:
Basically, it says that scientists have found that standard IQ tests consistently show autistic children as being of low intelligence, but that if a different form of test is used which relies on pattern determination rather than verbal responses, the test results go up into the normal or high range. There’s no such difference between the two tests for neurotypical kids, but for the autistic kids it’s tremendous – something like 60 points in some instances. The author goes on to wonder how many autistic kids have been written off due to failure to detect “blazing intelligence”.
Also relevant is Isaac Asimov’s essay on IQ tests.