calgal

Do individuals with an IQ around 95 go to college commonly? I am trying to plan realistically for a child currently in junior high school.

happymomof1

What do students from your school district normally do? What kind of transition services has your IEP team spoken with you about? In Maryland, the team is required to bring the student into the conversation no later than age 14 to begin discussing post-HS plans. I would also suggest that you investigate options through your local community college.

Good luck!

DeniseC

Do you have something like this:

Southern California Regional Occupational Center - SO CAL ROC/P (310) 224-4200

an occupational training center in your area? It is great for job/career training/education for high school students all along the intelligence spectrum.

NeuroPhD

An IQ score alone provides very little information about a student's strengths and weaknesses. However, an IQ of 95 would be classified as falling within the average range (37th percentile). Students with abilities in this range do frequently attend and complete two-year programs and some complete four year degrees. The student's motivation and career goals will have a lot to do with college success. With a lot of support, the right amount of motivation, and an appropriate area of study, a two-year college is a reasonable goal. A four-year degree may be appropriate depending on the student. I wouldn't use an IQ number as a deciding factor. Meeting with the school psychologist or counselor at the school would probably be the first step. Exploring vocational training options would also be a good idea. Feel free to PM me with more specific questions.

calgal

The IEP meeting will be next week, so we are not yet hooked up with support services. I was just looking at that one bit of data (IQ) and trying to understand what the future holds. Sounds like college is possible, at least. Thank you for offering help, I guess I should gather more information and then return with more questions.

Whadabala

95 is average. Even people with below average intelligence get into universities and do well.

missypie

Calgal, glad you are thinking so far ahead. My nephew is of low average intelligence (probably a bit lower than 95) and his parents did absolutely everything wrong. His mom went to work at a fairly selective LAC so, when the time came, he could get a tuition break...as if! He did terribly in the traditional college prep high school curriculum....they even sent him to military school for a while. Military school cannot turn an 85 IQ into a 120! He actually ended up graduating in 4 years but passing all his classes was so last minute that they hadn't even ordered graduation announcements. So then what did they do? The told him to pay his way through a traditional college and if he succeeds, they will reimburse him. He's on his second school, has failed and wants to come home but doesn't have the money.

To my knowledge, no one has ever focussed on figuring out what the poor kid would be good at. His whole life his parents have tried to shove his square peg into their round hole. He's a sweet, gentle young man and I'm sure there are quite a few things at which he could be successful.

Whether or not your school provides competent transition planning services (our district gave my son a career interest survey-that was it!), there is a lot that you can do. Every where you go with your daughter, everything you do, talk about the careers/jobs of the people around you. She's getting her hair cut-does that look fun? You check into a hotel..does working there look like fun? If she says she wants to be a doctor when you take her to the doctor, you'll have a bit of work to do to get her thinking in a direction that does not required medical school, but you get my drift. With her IQ, there are more jobs that she CAN do than that she CAN'T do....but if you send her to college with a major that requires Calculus or Organic Chemistry, it may not work out too well.

calgal

Missypie, Thanks for that practical suggestion. She likes animals/young kids/seniors, so I have been thinking she could study early childhood development or train as an LVN. I'll keep an eye on where her interests blossom. I am very sorry about your nephew. Continuous struggling in school takes a toll that I am trying to head off by getting learning support for my D. I hope he finds work that suits him, even if it not what his parents envisioned for him.

Cardinal Fang

If he's continuously struggling in school *now* for reasons that don't seem to be remediable, and especially if she doesn't currently like school, then college wouldn't seem to be a good choice for her. It would be kinder, in my opinion, to help her find a career path that she would like.

Anona

Calgirl, does you student get any sort of special help in school? Does she have an IEP? Who did the IQ testing? If it was the school (and you wondered if the results were really accurate), consider getting her tested privately. If she has a disability, then question the school's testing -- sometimes they use versions of tests that "test the disability" not the ability. And what you want is a test that tests the ability.

skibum4

Calgal, check out this weblink that lists specific colleges that have programs and seem open to students with LD: http://www.college-*****************...sabilities.htm

Good luck -- I have a younger boy (age 11) for whom I will be dealing with similar issues in the future. Based on conversations I've had with many others, if college is something that your daughter wants to do, there are definitely programs and schools out there.

skibum4

Looks like the site is blocked by CC so I'll pm you with the weblink.

califa

An IQ score alone doesn't tell very much. Look at grades, interests, classes taken, what s/he likes and dislikes in school. Also, some kids have a disparity between verbal and performance scores; it's possible to be average overall and above average in some areas and below average in others. It's good that you're looking so far ahead already.

TransitionSucces

I agree with the posts that say a score of 95 is within the average range but that IQ is not the primary determinant of college success. In fact, students with learning disabilities may, in fact, test lower than their native abilities. As a college Learning Specialist, I never look at IQ score until I know a student well. I don't want any preconceived bias -- I have seen highly motivated students with 95 IQs transfer to 4 year colleges, and I have seen students with 120 IQs drop out of community college.

Assuming at least an average IQ, the most important factors ones are determination, self-advocacy skills, strong academic support and college "savvy" (knowing how to navigate to maximize chances of success). I raised an LD son who completed college successfully with a 3.2 GPA, and I have been working with college students with LD since 1993. Please search "TransitionSucces" and read my other posts for more information.

(By the way, my son's 4th grade teacher pretty closed the book on him and told me to be "realistic". You know your kid best - don't allow someone else to put a cap on his abilities, if your instincts tell you differently! You must strike a happy medium between expecting the most based on the ability you see and expecting too much, which puts undue pressure on your son.)

movinmom

I am interested in this post for a young man who on top of a limited IQ has learning disabilities and dyslexia which make thinigs tough for him. For example, figuring out how to get to the various work sites for his construction job this summer has been a challenge. He has lost (as in can 't find) his license three times in the last few months and was recently in an accident when he got confused and made a bad decision. His mother is trying to figure his interest and a voc program or possibly a junior college, although probably the former. He wants to go into the military. Not sure if there are tests he will have to pass that will challenge him. It is so frustrating for the mom b/c when she tries to coach him on some practical suggestions for dealing with this, he gets mad at her and shuts down. Thank you all for thoughts and suggestions.