Please give your suggestions regarding treatment and education of a 14 yr old boy with an IQ of 35!?

Question

What kind of schooling does he need?Please also suggest any future vocation or job which he can take up to be a productive person,

Answer 1

An IQ score does not really mean much for your son. If he has severe communication issues, then it is very hard to get an accurate IQ. For our purposes, let's instead say that he has significant deficits in communication, academic performance and social skills.

Your son should be educated in a life skills class. It may be called something different in your school district, but it will consist of a curriculum designed to help him be as independent as possible as an adult. They will also teach him some vocational skills as he gets older.

He is also going to be assisted by the Department of Rehabilitation after high school so that he can get tools or training in his desired field of work. When he is 16, ask the IEP team to include them in any meetings about his future. This will give you a better idea of his vocational capabilities.

People with mental disabilities are valuable members of our communities. There are sheltered workshops that assist them with finding employment or that do projects at the site. There are also different stores that are very invested in hiring disabled workers. MacDonald's probably leads the pack in this. Their employees wipe down tables, wash floors and bus any trays or food items left behind.

There are also a number of grocery store chains that use disabled workers to stock shelves and to bag groceries. These are just a few of the many opportunities available. The Dept. of Rehab will show you more.

Answer 2

Depends on which test he was given, is he verbal? Deaf?

I just had a UNIT non verbal IQ done on a student of mine who had been given a verbal IQ test scored 56 and had been labeled MIMR for 3 years at another school. She was Hearing Impaired and they gave a verbal test- duh! Now she qualified as low average at about 78.

Then there is the possibility he didn't feel like taking the test. Look at his skills, his age and his interests and go from there.

Is he ambulatory, have any fine motor skills? Is he old enough for a voc.ed counselor?

Answer 3

Deerrr!!!! can he even drool straight!?

Answer 4

Most education on that level ought to be life skill oriented and your son ought to be under supervision of DDSD to benefit from all the available programs after school is done. He would benefit later on by going to sheltered workshops and receiving intensive case management and guidance, help with tasks, job coaching, etc.

I used to run a daytreatment for mentally ill adults and the group homes in that town had a few clients they didnt know what to do with, so they send them to my program. Among them was a wonderful lady with an IQ of 37 and Schizophrenia. She lived in her own apartment and had a job cleaning and office for a few hours. Since she received a bit more individual attention in my program, she bloomed.

Answer 5

You have gotten a lot of politically correct answers about your child being able to hold a job and his IQ score not mattering, however...

If your child's IQ score is 35, and there wasn't a major problem the day he tested as some people suggested, his future is going to be very limited.

The average IQ score is 80-100.  An IQ of 35 is VERY low, and chances are good he will never be able to hold a job.  Chances are his schooling will consist of self-help skills such as bathrooming, dressing himself, answering to his name, and requesting things he wants/needs or answering yes/no questions.

If your son is able to do these things already and he can communicate and answer yes/no questions and ask for things he wants/needs you might want to consider having him re-evaluated and plan a program based on the new evaluation.

If, however, your son truly scores a 35 IQ you need to begin looking at the future realistically - he will need care his entire life, and you will not always be able to provide it.  The waiting lists for social services are often long, and the longer you wait the less chance of him receiving services when he needs them.

Although this may sound harsh, it is better to hear it now than to have a grown man who is severely mentally handicapped and no services in place.  The sooner you have a better grip on your son's abilities and future the better you can plan for him.

Answer 6

Contact your local social services dept and explain your situation and ask your questions once you get an appointment.  Or, you can go to your local school district's special education dept and ask to have him evaluated so he can get the education and support he needs.  Your local school district should also have a load of references for you and your son's special needs to insure he is properly placed.