Bright autistic kids 'misunderstood'

[Steve_colour-se7en]

Hello everyone,

 

Here is an interesting article from ABC Science Online, Australia - 7 hours ago, let me know what your views are on this - People with autism are more intelligent and able to function better than previously believed, experts say.

 

But mistrust of doctors, biased tests and the internet have bred myths about the condition.

 

At a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, researchers presented reports showing that even people with autism who do not speak can have above-average intelligence.

 

They also offered additional studies disputing claims that vaccines can cause autism.

 

"The current figures are that 75% of autistic people are mentally retarded, with the mute the most ... impaired," says Canadian researcher Dr Laurent Mottron, an autism researcher at Montreal's H�pital Rivi?re-des-Prairies.

 

But Mottron believes the wrong intelligence tests are used to assess autistic children.

for the rest of this article please use the attached link http://abc.net.au/science/news/health/Heal...ish_1573742.htm

 

 

Steve..

 

 

I think the boy means well but he is distinctly inclined to be inattentive......

Tutor of Winston Churchill to Lord Randolph Churchill,

Winston's father

[call me jaded]

I recall a lengthy discussion on a parents forum over five years ago discussing why the Wechsler test (which is used extensively in the States) was so inappropriate for autism. Still, I suppose we can now quote research.

[Zemanski]

autism is not determined by IQ, an autistic person can be anywhere from genius to severely impaired in terms of cognitive functioning just like anyone else.

 

The fact that autistic people are underestimated generally is understandable (but not acceptable) - they have expressive difficulties (even when verbal), difficulty in connecting with a topic unless it is of specific interest to them, difficulty knowing what response is expected of them in any situation, difficulty performing to the best of their ability in certain environments...............

 

you can see why designing a test that would give them the opportunity to show their true level of intelligence would be problematic.

 

I wonder how the raven's test differs from wechsler?

 

Zemanski

[Tez]

There is increasingly a view that none of these tests are appropriate for people on the spectrum. When A was going through the statutory assessment process he was assessed using both the Weschler and the Ravens Progressive Matrix. His score using the Ravens was abysmally low. There were many reasons for this, the test was adminstered by tthe SENCO who he hated and caused him to panic. Her mere presence in the room was a problem. It was adminstered in school where he had difficulty coping with the sensory pressures and he had virtually ceased to function by this stage due to stress. The SENCO bullied him through 4 hours of testing, the last of which was the Ravens.

 

By contrast his Weschler scores assessed by an EP just a few months earlier for exam dispensations were extremely high even though he wasn't tested to limit due to anxiety. The biggest difference was that the EP was extremely supportive and encouraged and supported him through them and ensured that she got rid of as many sensory pressures from the room as possible before she started.

 

The EP who actually produced the report for statutory assessment refused to adminster any tests of this nature because he said any results would be meaningless and were actually giving a false impression. His final report did advise the LEA that they should not place any great value on the results that the SENCO had produced.

Edited February 20, 2006 by Tez

[Zemanski]

Com did the BAS11 (similar to wechsler) and came out gifted at 9. Then last year he did wechsler and came out average and a month later he came out gifted on the same test because we queried the results!

 

ho hum

 

Zemanski

[call me jaded]

In the US access to mainstream is gained by demonstrating an IQ above a certain level, so an awful lot depends on the right test.

[Suze]

I googled the ravens test but could,nt find one to post a link up to.......I,d love to have a look at it.My son has only been assessed with weschler.

[Malika]

Hummm

 

I think personnaly that it is very easy to twist both test and result and in any case those tests are not ment to show our children real difficuties which can change over night for example H was tested by the EP with some British scale test and perform extremely well except in expressive language and a bit on understanding but still the EP said he was bright and did not need an assesment. What she did was to test him with single words meaning while H has problems with building sentences and using the appropriate time and pronoms. She as well tested him with numbers but very little was done with problems solving....

 

The fact is that most ASD AS children can learn given the right environment and with the use of appropriate strategy but this require training and understanding.

 

Take care all. <'>

 

Malika.

[Malika]

Hi to all.

 

Steve I forgot to add that navigating on the link yougave us I found this, which is very interesting about reading expression... thanks.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthr...ies/s538200.htm

 

Malika.