What Does It Mean To Have A Low Iq Score

Low IQ score: IQ score of 70 or below is considered a low score. For standardized tests of intelligence, the average score is fixed at 100. Over 140 is considered high or genius-level. 68% of all scores fall within minus or plus 15 points of the mean (so range 85 to 115).

So what does it mean to have a score 70 or below?

In the past, an IQ score below 70 was considered a benchmark for mental retardation, an intellectual disability characterized by significant cognitive impairments. Today, however, IQ scores alone are not used to diagnose intellectual disability. But it is criteria for a diagnosis includes an IQ below 70, evidence that these cognitive limitations existed prior to the age of 18, and limitations in two or more adaptive areas such

In addition, certain complications during delivery may cause blood flow to be limited to the baby's brain, causing a permanently lowered IQ.

• Problems During Childhood: Lead poisoning and malnutrition have both been linked to low IQs in children.

• Illness: At any point in a person's life, certain illnesses can affect the brain and cause cognitive disabilities. Whooping cough, measles, or meningitis, if not treated properly, can lower a person's level of intelligence. In older adults, dementia can also affect intelligence.

Other Causes That May Lead to a Low IQ Score

Sometimes a person's IQ score may be lower than expected because of issues unrelated to intelligence. For example, individuals with motor skills problems, like not being able to hold and write with a pencil or grab and move blocks, may score low on an IQ test, even though they are of average or above-average intelligence. Also, people with poor communication skills will not score high on a traditional IQ test due to the large amount of talking involved with the

But, can slipping in the bathtub really cause a drop in intelligence? The answer is not so straightforward. A single concussion generally causes no long-term negative effect. However, recent research coming out of the professional sports field, as well as from the military, is helping us understand that repeated concussions over the course of just a few years can cause cognitive impairments in both children and adults.

• Dealing with a Chronic Illness: Being really sick stinks, especially when you're a kid and you don't always understand why you can't just run around and play like everyone else. While many chronic illnesses, such as Crohn's disease, do not directly effect a person's intelligence, the stress of medical treatments and hospitalizations can repeatedly interrupt a child's regular learning environment, making it appear as though a child has lower intelligence than they really do.

• Physical Limitations: Parents and educators share joint responsibility for making sure every person testing a child is fully aware of the child's physical limitations. Children who have been diagnosed with certain visual impairments - including lazy eye - will need to have a Full Visual Evaluation conducted by a certified teacher of the visually impaired before the IQ test is administered. Children with hearing impairments or auditory processing issues will need special accommodations,