The IQ Debate: Is IQ Permanent or is “The Fade Out Effect” Real?
What is early intervention?
“Early intervention is a system of services that helps babies and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities. Early intervention focuses on helping eligible babies and toddlers learn the basic and brand-new skills that typically develop during the first three years of life, such as:
- physical (reaching, rolling, crawling, and walking);
- cognitive (thinking, learning, solving problems);
- communication (talking, listening, understanding);
- social/emotional (playing, feeling secure and happy); and
- self-help (eating, dressing).”
The article, “IQ and fade-out effect: Environmental intervention can raise general intelligence, but the effects aren’t permanent”, put out by the University of California, questions if the increase of early intervention levels are permanent. “The key finding: Interventions did raise intelligence levels, but not permanently. When the interventions ended, their effects diminished over time in what psychologists describe as ‘the fadeout effect.’”One of the biggest arguments in this article is that when the intervention had ceased the intelligence of the children dropped over a period of time. Of course it would drop! If they are not getting simulated with intervention then their intelligence is stagnant or would revert. All children, especially children with special needs need stimulation, which early intervention provides; if this intervention is suddenly stopped at age 3, then so is growth.
“While both IQ scores and general intelligence can be raised through targeted environmental interventions, any gains are not permanent and fade over time.” However, if intervention is continued over time, these skills can be generalized and adapted to other situations. Learning can be done over time. It is not done in a short period and then stopped. It is done over a long period of time. With dedication and work, special needs children can learn and improve their intelligence. Not to say they are going to jump 20 points on their IQ, but they can improve their intelligence enough to understand and function more independently and at higher levels than without early intervention. Even as this article states the fading out effect, the author does also emphasis that they believe, “… it is still a good thing to intervene and try to change the trajectory for these children.”
So what can we do as parents to keep the momentum going? Keep reading to children at home. Reading bedtime stories helps your child understand text, language, vocabulary and voice signals. Don’t smother your child. Go to your child when there is a true need. Children benefit a great deal by trying to figure things out on their own. Lastly, try a multimodal approach to teaching your child. Using more than one type of mode of input to expand understanding.
