When a student faces unidentified intellectual disabilities, their resulting academic and behavioral struggles can sometimes be misattributed to external factors by their family. In Candace's case, her parents believed she was failing and acting out because she was being unfairly picked on by teachers and peers due to her different ethnicity. However, an IQ test score of 68 revealed that her difficulties were actually linked to cognitive challenges rather than ethnic discrimination.

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A case study from Connecticut illustrates the practical use of IQ testing in identifying underlying issues for students. A 14-year-old named Candace was failing all her ninth-grade classes and exhibited significant behavioral problems, including fighting and cursing at teachers. A court-ordered psychological evaluation, which included an IQ test, revealed her score to be 68. This score provided a crucial insight, suggesting that her struggles in school were likely linked to an intellectual disability that had previously gone unnoticed, rather than being solely behavioral.

Identifying Learning Difficulties with IQ Testing (Candace's Case)

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

In educational settings, students with unidentified learning difficulties or intellectual disabilities may use disruptive behaviors as a coping mechanism. For example, 14-year-old Candace consistently failed her classes and cursed at teachers when called upon. While her actions appeared to be purely behavioral problems, she later explained that she used defiance to avoid answering questions she did not know, preventing her from looking foolish in front of her peers.

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