I'd love to take one of those tests off of meds and then try it again when I am on meds see how much of a difference the focusing really makes. I'm thinking there would be an amazing difference.

Testing kids when they are off meds seems like it would be so inaccurate. It's like taking a "normal" person sitting them down to start the test and then setting them on fire. How many normals are going to make it all the way through the test. They're going to fill in random circles as fast as they can and run to put the fire out.  

Gee - filling in random circles and rushing to finish sounds like me taking the SAT's and college placement exams.

I'd love to take one of those tests off of meds and then try it again when I am on meds see how much of a difference the focusing really makes. I'm thinking there would be an amazing difference.

Just a thought provoking question my phsycology professor gave us one time. How acurate is a test ment to mesure your IQ if you are already required to read in order to take it? ( fun fact the reason we ended up with so many polish jokes here in america is when people were immigrating over here at Elis Island  they used to make every one take I.Q. tests. Most people from Poland were unable to read english (the language the test was given in here) and there for failed the test. So it was assumed that they had no logical ability!)

I.Q. stands for Intelligence Quotient.  It is simply a way
to test the logical abilities of a person.  I.Q. is figured out by
taking one of several different tests.  Some test different areas of
logic.  The average I.Q. is 100.  Here are some scores and what they
mean:
100   Smarter than 50% of all people.
110   Smarter than 75% of all people.
120   Smarter than 93% of all people.
130   Smarter than 98% of all people.

[QUOTE=wildlad088]I think that having good concentration is vital whien doing a test like an iq test![/QUOTE]

I don't agree.  My son was not medicated, & had never been to therapy, in fact he hadn't been diagnosed yet when he took an IQ yest.  He scored in the 120's.

He found the test engaging & enjoyable.  He loves to figure things out.  He also didn't have the pressure of knowing that he WAS taking an IQ test, so he was very relaxed.

LOL I scored in the 120's when I was younger when they tested me in school. Never been officially tested again so don't know my score now but I definately think attention span effects the tests. If I don't get the answer quickly or have been sitting for a half hour taking a test I just start to fill in circles. I start not caring if I get them right or wrong because I just want to get the hell out of there.

That's why I said I'd love to take the test now that I'm on meds. I'd love to see how I do now that I'll (probably) be able to sit and concentrate during the entire test.

I think IQ scores are the best way of determinig your "true" intelligence level. For the most part it doesn't test you on book smarts but rather on how sharp your mind is working. It can also help to tell you where you strengths are. I get really high spatial and number scores. The verbal section is not quite as good.

I also believe that you are not born with a certain IQ. Genetics plays a role of course, but by doing daily "mental exercise" you can sharpen your mind considerably.

Of course using IQ scores to discriminate against people is horrible. But the test itself is beneficial in my opinion.

Lee

I used to make patterns  halfway through the test  with the circles you put the answers in. I couldnt stay focused that long   so I toook half the test  and  drew patterns for half.

As I got older I tested  much faster and would  whip through the tests.  I am  back in school now 20 yrs later  and still  the forst to finish any exam.

It's amazing my brain grew  when I started taking the whole test!! I think with a kid  with ADD  long tests are a REAL bad way to gage intellignece.   Hell,   my Mom used to  tell me  they though I was slow  and needed special ED when first evaluated for school based on the interview with the  Nurse/pschologist/ teacher  whoever  did it in the 60s my  mother pitched a beetch  and I went ion regular classes...it was ADD  I am sure now. She told me I didnt pay attention    didnt complete the  simple drawing tests  she gave me etc..  The last IQ  test I took  I scored  137. ...Now, my bad experiences   are from a  time  of general ignoprance about ADD  but  I am sure   a lot of kids  still  test like I did when  young...draw patterns of dots   or dont do the boring parts.  Once pigeonholed in Special ED I doubt I would of had the life  andsiccess I have now  even with ADHD.  I am not on meds till tommoprow  and  hopeful they will help me cut the chaos out of my life  but have been able to compensate  for the speedbumps of ADD  in a lot of areas of my life anyway.

I always went to the sections of the tests that I liked or knew the answers to and worked through the exam questions randomly from easiest to hardest or from most interesting to boring.  Quite frankly, I approach my work as an adult the same way which drives everyone crazy though I try hard to break that bad habit.

During one very important test, I skipped an entire section and was sent to "dummy" school as a result of the low score.  Noone even bothered to look at the test itself but just went on the score alone....whew!  Things have come a LONG way with ADD since then.