10/08/2025
A mental health professional posted a question in a group about testing and determining whether someone meets criteria for intellectual developmental disorder. Posting my response on my page for those interested in this area.
I’m going to preface my comments below by saying I used to do the testing for eligibility determination. I am also incredibly passionate about working with this population and have been published in the area of accurate diagnosis for those with ID. There are so many factors to consider here but here are the ones that immediately come to mind.
1. There is a difference between a clinical diagnosis and meeting criteria for services. They should be one and the same but often they are not. Every State has different eligibility criteria.
2. Consider individual index scores and not just the FSIQ. How someone does on cognitive testing is impacted by many factors. It’s a snapshot in time. How reliable is the information obtained? What is this individual’s educational background. Have they had the opportunity to learn in a way that they could be successful? Is English their first language? Are they bilingual? Were they anxious during testing? Is prior testing accurate?
3. Dont forget about adaptive functioning and academic testing. Where is this child compared to others in their grade? What kind of supports is the child getting in school? Best classes? Worst classes? Reading level? Writing skills? Maths? How have difficulties with attention and concentration impacted learning?
3. Personal opinion here but for a few reasons I think the Stanford Binet is superior to the wechsler when the person is suspected of having an ID diagnosis.
4. Improvement in IQ scores or adaptive functioning is good news even it jeopardizes services in place. It means interventions have been helping. With the right suports in place everyone shows growth in development. Everyone has their own curve.
5. Parents are often worried about what will happen to their child when they are gone. Future planning and making sure parents are connected with all the resources and information available to them is key. Evaluations of this nature should help parents to understand and highlight what their child CAN do, their strengths, identify areas of growth, as well as next steps, and making referrals and clear recommendations for continued growth and success.
6. When testing for ID if you aren’t an expert in this area I would refer. This kind of testing is free through the school and your local authority who determine eligibility for services.
7. The most important thing of all: if your child has ASD, IDD or any other diagnosis that qualifies for services, make sure you get on those waiver waitlists, even if you dont think you will ever use those services. It takes 15-20 years on average to reach the top. When you do get there you can always decline, but if you need those services and didn’t add your child to the list you likely wont get them when you do need them.
Feel free to reach out with any questions. Always happy to connect to resources.
Ardent Psychological Services, PLLC
