Part 7: Smart Kids and Learning Disabilities

Part 7 :  The IQ Myth

In reality, IQ is simply an average of the measure of a person's cognitive abilities.  So someone could be in the 90th percentile or above in most of the different cognitive areas, but have an extreme memory deficit.  That person's IQ score would undoubtedly be very high, but they would still struggle to perform at an appropriate level.

Albert Einstein had ADHD.  Thomas Edison had dyslexia.  Because IQ is simply a measure of cognitive abilities, it's easy to see how a very smart child could still have a learning disability.  Just imagine a child whose cognitive skills are all very strong except one. A bright child who struggles with selective attention (the ability to remain focused on a task while being subjected to distractions) will struggle with work completion, the quality of the work they do will be subpar, they may not get work done in a reasonable length of time, and they may have to be constantly drawn back to the task at hand by a parent or teacher.

Or what about that brilliant teen whose memory skills are so weak that he/she can't remember what the homework assignments are, or can't remember to turn the homework in even when completed?  They might understand the material they read, but writing cohesive thoughts may be an issue for them because the thought "disappears" before they can get it down on paper - they are simply unable to recall the thought they wanted to write. They might struggle to remember the right equation to use in math; math facts and sight words and spelling may have been a problem when they were younger. 

It's not only possible - but even common - for intelligent children to have a learning disability.  As I've mentioned in each article, there is hope!  Their struggles do not have to be ongoing!