Disability is not Inability

:: Classification based on IQ.

" When we were young we had to touch our ears with my hand across my head infront of the teacher to define if i am fit to join class one". Did you ever know it was one of the first tests of IQ!

A definition of intelligence (if possible) is beyond the scope of this site if necessary. We only can define a set of acts that collectively we define as intelligent in relation to what we agree to be a successful social life.

that is the basis of the educational system and grading by which we define students. We assume therefore that a certain level of intelleigence is required to be called member of society. Some experts describe it as problem-solving skills. Others see it as the ability to adapt to and learn from life's everyday experiences.

measuring individual differences

The issues of intelligence as expressed in the difference between individuals is the most important use in our context in disability.

In a class taught the same thing by the same teacher using various methods of teaching may benefit and thereofre adapt differently from the information.

In 1904 the French Ministry of Education asked psychologist Alfred Binet to devise a method of identfying children who were unable to learn in school.

School officials wanted to reduce crowding by placing in special schools students who did not benefit from regular classroom teaching . The list of 30 questions he came up with included the ability to touch one's ear to the ability to draw designs from memory and define abstract concepts.

Binet developed the concept of Mental Age (MA), an individual's level of development in relation to others.

In 1912, William Stern created the concept of Intelligent Quotient (IQ). This is a persons mental age divided by chronological age (CA), multiplied by 100.

That is IQ = MA/CA X 100

100 means Mental and Chronological developing equally. If MA is growing faster than CA or slower.

Revisions were done to this by Stanford University where many tests were taken and distributions used to define IQ. Current tests include verbal and nonverbal questions. Most early education tests is based on these skills.

chidlren with Mental disabilities..

The fourth Edition is defined within four functions: Verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, abstract visual reasoning and short-term memory.

Children with disabilities like (mental retardation) fail in many tests like these since they are defined outside the context of abilities that these children possess.

Tests that however measure the ability for independent living are important to assist build the necessary support structures to enable education opportunities towards inclusive and productive life.

Source: book educational psychology by John Santrock McGraw Hill 2004,

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