Both the specialist and the parent should act ethically regarding the application of intelligence tests. Parents should not take a test because they are curious about their child's intelligence level or score. Intelligence tests are a tool, not a goal. The application of the test should be based on a specific need. If the child will benefit from the results of this test for his/her future life, the test should be applied. Practices done just for curiosity may cause more harm than good to the child.
In what cases should an intelligence test be applied?
We generally expect an intelligence test to be applied for two situations.
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If it is observed that the child has superior performance compared to his peers, it is useful to apply the test. If the child has a strong sense of curiosity and memory, a high learning speed, a rich vocabulary, a rich imagination and creativity, the test should be applied. According to the test results, the next step should be planned. It will be more beneficial for the child to reinforce and further develop the child's superior aspects or to direct him/her to the areas in which he/she excels so that he/she can be more successful.
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If it is observed that the child performs inadequately, it is useful to apply the test in the same way. . If there are chronic conditions such as the child's weakness in reading, writing, arithmetic skills, slow learning speed, inability to adapt to social environments, and inability to meet daily needs on his own, an intelligence test should be applied to discover the child's shortcomings and weaknesses. Program planning should be made to improve these weaknesses.
The application of the test should be decided together with the specialist.
Whether the child needs such a test should be evaluated by the specialist. If the expert decides that a test should be administered by combining the parent's, teacher's and own observations, he/she should share this with the parent and provide the necessary information to the family about what can be done according to the purpose and result of the test. If, in the opinion of the expert, the test is beneficial, the test should be applied.
Regardless of the result, the child should not be prejudiced against and the child should be supported.
It should not be forgotten that the test result may be positive or negative. However, the result is an ethical problem in the child. It should not cause fleshiness. Because the purpose of the test is to support the child mentally and cognitively. According to the results, any positive or negative labeling given to the child will harm the child.
As a result of the intelligence test, quality, not quantity, is at the forefront.
The scores obtained as a result of the test have meaning among experts. Therefore, it would not be correct for the expert to share the result as a score with the parents. What is important is not the score itself, but what it means in terms of quality. It would be a huge mistake to just know the score and act accordingly. At this point, parents are expected to be understanding.
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