What Is the IQ of a Nonverbal Autistic Person?

There’s no single IQ score for nonverbal autistic individuals. Scores vary and often underestimate ability due to how standard IQ tests work.

What the Research Shows

Nonverbal autistic people often get lower scores on traditional IQ tests because most of these tools depend on verbal responses. But that doesn’t mean they lack intelligence. In fact, a 2022 study in Frontiers in Psychiatry showed that many nonverbal autistic individuals scored within the average or above-average range when tested using nonverbal tools like the Leiter-3 or Raven’s Progressive Matrices.

Standard IQ tests may suggest intellectual disability, but those results may reflect challenges with speech—not thinking ability.

A Maryland parent shared:

"Our son was labeled low-functioning until we used a nonverbal test. It showed his reasoning skills were actually above average."

Conclusion

So, what is the IQ of a nonverbal autistic person? It depends on how you measure it. The right test can reveal far more than words ever could. Want guidance on how to get a clearer evaluation? Contact All Star ABA in Maryland. We’ll connect you to trusted professionals who understand your child’s full potential.

FAQs

Sources:

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4876598/
• https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4812560 
• https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/intellectual-disability/what-is-intellectual-disability 
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4148695/