IQ is a measure of intelligence. But then, what exactly is an IQ?
Hoogbegaafdheid is meer dan een hoog IQ. Hoogbegaafdheid is een combinatie van een uitzonderlijke intelligentie, creativiteit en doorzettingsvermogen. Als maat voor hoogbegaafdheid wordt echter het IQ genomen, omdat creativiteit en doorzettingsvermogen lastig meetbaar zijn.
Personen met een IQ van >130 worden hoogbegaafd genoemd,
vanaf 145 zijn ze uitzonderlijk hoogbegaafd.
An intelligence test will identify what you are good at, what your strengths and weaknesses are and what you have taken in so far. In summary, the general cognitive abilities of children, adolescents and adults are measured and this is done using an IQ (intelligence quotient) test.
IQ scores indicate:
115 – 120 Above average
85 – 115 Average
During an intelligence test, it does not measure how well you perform in school. School outcomes partially correlate with intelligence. However, there is much more to it than that. Just think about interests, motivation, emotional well-being,…
The American psychologist, David Wechsler, who designed the well-known intelligence tests, described intelligence as follows: “Intelligence is the ability to act purposefully, think rationally and interact effectively with the environment.”
Intelligence is a property of the brain. It indicates how well the brain performs certain functions.
The functions of the brain that together determine intelligence are:
- can reason
- make plans
- troubleshoot
- be able to understand and speak language
- abstract thought
- learning from experience
- be able to establish relationships
- noticing similarities and differences
- spatial orientation
- Store information in memory and be able to retrieve from it
- Be able to apply existing knowledge in new situations
Some of the characteristics that emerge in gifted children:
- Leading edge development
- Unusually good memory
- Eager to learn and broadly interested
- Strong imagination and creativity
- Sensitive and intense
- Strongly developed sense of justice
Up to the age of 7, the term developmental delay is used. Officially, a child with a developmental lead is not called gifted because the lead could still disappear. However here opinions differ because some characteristics of giftedness can be present in young children and even babies.
Gifted children have great potential intellectually. Utilizing this potential depends on a number of factors; can the children (learn to) cope with their perfectionism, are they given space to work autonomously, are they stimulated and encouraged to take on difficult issues, is there meaning present (does what you have to do have a purpose?). To name just a few.
The environment has a major influence on whether or not the potential flourishes in these children. To properly address needs, knowledge is key. Walsha would like to support parents and professionals in finding the necessary knowledge and guidance.
Gifted children are quick thinkers who can come up with creative solutions. Often development is rapid and they show it. For example, you sometimes see that a baby can raise its head early, or stand very quickly. There are toddlers who talk well and a lot with a large vocabulary, but there are also children who want to be sure first and spend a long time observing and “practicing in their heads. These children can then surprise you with suddenly talking with full sentences.
A profile of the one gifted child cannot be given: every child is different. What is important, however, is that parents, caregivers and educators are knowledgeable about giftedness and can use appropriate guidance.
The IQ test is a measurement tool and a way to determine giftedness. Many people see it as a way to prove their giftedness. Maybe it feels like only then are you allowed to find and say you are gifted.
IQ scores have the following significance:
> 145 Exceptionally gifted
130 – 145 Highly gifted
121 – 129 Gifted
115 – 120 Above average
But giftedness does not always show up on an IQ test. Some gifted people even score low on an IQ test even though they have a high IQ. After all, intelligence is more than the IQ score that comes out of an IQ test. An IQ test is also a snapshot in time. This is important to remember. Because if you are unable to perform well just at that moment because your state of mind is a bit off, you will see it in the score that rolls out of the IQ test. But that does not change the degree to which you are gifted.
Many gifted people also score lower on IQ tests because they interpret the questions differently or think too hard about them. It also depends on who takes the IQ test. How do you feel about this person? And does this person have knowledge about giftedness so he or she can take that into account when administering the test?
Our view is that while an IQ test can confirm giftedness, it cannot disprove it. So with an IQ score of, say, 127 (officially you are then gifted), you can still be gifted.
The term retarded is a term for being less than average gifted.
In an IQ test where a normally gifted person has an average IQ score of 100, a weakly gifted person has an IQ score between 70 and 85.
If, in addition to an IQ between 70 and 85, there is also reduced adaptability, the weakly gifted are included in the group of people with mild intellectual disabilities.