Limit intelligence and its implications

People with borderline intelligence (IL) have an intelligence quotient (IQ) of between 70 and 85 points, when what is considered normal is between 85 and 115. That is, These people are just below what the World Health Organization (WHO) considers normal intelligence..

Some authors maintain that borderline intelligence is a type of intellectual disability. And although they have similar characteristics, both conditions They are differentiated by the type of support that people need to achieve a certain autonomy. In their lifes.

Borderline intellectual functioning is not an illness or mental retardation. Is about an intelligence that, when measured by the IQ test appears below average. This functioning makes some aspects of life difficult, but can be overcome with appropriate treatment.

The term borderline intelligence refers to different cognitive and adaptation profiles. People with LI represent a wide swath of the population and are exposed to numerous obstacles throughout their life cycle.

Characteristics of borderline intelligence

People with borderline intelligence can be very different from each other. However, there are characteristics that they mostly share:

The limit intelligence cannot be seen with the naked eyesince there are no physical features that evidence it.Mismatch between chronological age and mental age, which becomes more marked from adolescence onwards. It is during this stage of life that people with borderline intelligence show more dissonance between their interests and abilities and those of their peers. Lack of initiative and limited ability to generate rational mechanisms with which to help yourself solve everyday situations.Poor creative ability to successfully adapt to new situations that arise. Difficulty making decisions.Difficulty resolving conflicts.Difficulties in the development of psychomotor skills, particularly fine motor skills. Poor capacity for self-care.

These people also suffer on a social level, as they have the following deficiencies:

Social skills deficit.Difficulties relating emotionally. They have a hard time making or keeping friends, having a partner, and relating to other people.Difficulties in taking responsibilitiesespecially those that are typical of adults, such as motherhood or fatherhood, for example. Little initiative to do something outside of their daily habits. Difficulty organizing their free time.

On a psychological level, we can say that the following characteristics usually appear in their profile:

They are more emotionally vulnerable. Their condition penalizes their self-esteem. They tend to have more difficulties managing failure and frustration, as well as being more likely to develop an anxiety or mood disorder.

What does it mean to be a person with borderline intelligence?

When a person has borderline intelligence They usually have poor academic performance and tend to fail at school. In addition, they may also present school dropout problems, altered behaviors and social adaptation, because their learning is slow.

Another characteristic is the difficulty in carrying out activities of daily living.. They have a hard time finding solutions to their work problems, for example. And if they have to face a couple’s argument, they often tend to isolate themselves because they cannot assimilate it.

Social stigma is one of the most painful implications of this condition. These people often feel (and are) discriminated against by their environment or misunderstood. This can lead to anxiety and depression. It is very important to have support in the reference group to avoid this.

A person with borderline intelligence may manifest linguistic difficulties, as well as failures in care processes. The most common thing is that they have problems in their oral expression, understanding instructions and executive functions.

Special needs

A child or adolescent with borderline intelligence needs special educational strategies. They also require support to function in life, in addition to access to medical, psychological, educational and social services that allow them to have a good quality of life.

It is important that the diagnosis is made at an early age. The most popular idea is that fluid intelligence reaches its maximum a few years after leaving adolescence behind, in early youth, so detecting this problem early can facilitate adequate early stimulation that helps the person function normally in their daily life.

It is estimated that between 3 and 5% of the population has borderline intelligence. Therefore, it is necessary that both political and health, educational and social agents become familiar with this condition to generate appropriate support measures.

People with borderline intelligence require specialized academic support, in addition to adaptations in the study plans to achieve satisfactory school trajectories. However, above all, they need a society aware of their problems that facilitates their social inclusion.

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