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Above which iq sld assessment is done in children

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"specific learning disorder" AND IQ discrepancy

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specific learning disability assessment in children IQ cutoff 85 or 90 exclude intellectual disability India RPwD

SLD assessment is usually done in children with an IQ of about 85 or above, meaning average or near-average intelligence. Some centres accept 80 or above. The point is that the learning problem must not be explained by low intelligence.
Cut-offs
  • Common clinical and Indian practice: IQ ≥ 85 (some use ≥ 90). Children with an IQ below 70 are treated as having intellectual disability. Those between 71 and 84 are in the borderline range.
  • Borderline range: The Kaplan & Sadock textbook describes borderline intellectual functioning as an IQ of about 71 to 84, with mild global learning problems and not a specific learning disorder. Average is 85 to 115 (Kaplan & Sadock's Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, section on borderline intellectual and adaptive functioning).
  • DSM-5 and ICD-10/11: These do not set a strict IQ cut-off. They require that the learning difficulty is not better explained by intellectual disability, sensory problems, or poor schooling. A child with an IQ of 70 or above can be assessed, but a diagnosis is clearest when the IQ is average.
  • Old model: The classic "IQ-achievement discrepancy" model required normal IQ with achievement well below expected. DSM-5 has dropped it. The current approach looks for achievement substantially below age level on standardised tests, with persistent difficulty despite intervention.
In practice
  • Do an IQ test first, for example WISC or Binet-Kamat. In India, Malin's Intelligence Scale for Indian Children is also used.
  • If the IQ is average or higher, go on to assess reading, writing and maths with tools such as the NIMHANS SLD battery.
Dyscalculia is an example: the mean IQ of affected children is generally normal (Bradley and Daroff's Neurology in Clinical Practice, section on dyscalculia).
The exact cut-off (80, 85 or 90) varies between institutions and guidelines. Check which one your exam or local protocol uses.
My quick PubMed check turned up a 2024 systematic review in the Indian Journal of Public Health, PMID 38953817, that asks whether diagnosis of learning disability is uniform worldwide. Its title suggests it does not, which fits the variation in cut-offs above. I only saw the title, not the abstract.

According to india More dhan 85 or more dhan equal to 85

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Guidelines for assessment of specific learning disability India gazette notification 2018 IQ 85 or above

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SLD India assessment "IQ" "85 and above" OR "above 85" OR "more than 85" children specific learning disability

In India the official wording is "IQ more than 85" (>85). The Gazette is internally inconsistent, though, and in practice many clinicians use ≥ 85.
What the sources say
  • RPwD Act assessment guidelines (Gazette notification, 2018 and the 2024 revision): Step 2 says that if the IQ is "more than 85", you go on to Step 3 (SLD assessment). Step 3, criterion 1, then says "IQ 85 or more".
  • NIMHANS SLD battery manual: It says "IQ 85 and above" (≥ 85).
  • Parent guides and clinic material: These also say "SLD is diagnosed only if IQ is 85 or above".
A 2026 PMC analysis of India's SLD policy points out this mismatch. It notes that a child scoring exactly 85 falls into a grey zone, and that both thresholds (≥ 85 and > 85) are used across editions of the NIMHANS manual. A separate review of SLD challenges in India also notes that children with IQ between 70 and 85 get no benefit under either SLD or intellectual disability. It questions why 85 was chosen and suggests 90.
For exams
  • Write "IQ > 85 (more than 85)" if the question is based on the RPwD Gazette.
  • Write "IQ ≥ 85" if it is based on the NIMHANS battery or general teaching.
  • Intellectual disability is IQ below 70. The 70 to 85 group is borderline and falls between the two.
I haven't read the Gazette PDF myself. This comes from the analyses and summaries above, which quote its wording.

Aiims exam

For AIIMS, mark "IQ more than 85 (>85)".
  • The RPwD Gazette (2018, revised 2024) is the official Indian standard. Its Step 2 says "IQ more than 85" before SLD assessment goes ahead.
  • Recent Indian MCQ keys and review books generally follow this wording.
  • I couldn't find a specific past AIIMS question on this, so I can't say how AIIMS has worded or keyed it.
If the options include both "85" and ">85"
  • Choose ">85" if the question says "according to RPwD Act / Gazette / India".
  • Choose "≥85" only if the question names the NIMHANS SLD battery, since its manual says "85 and above".
  • If the question gives no source, ">85" is the safer pick. A question that asks for a general cut-off will usually just be testing "normal IQ (about 85 or more)", and only one of the two options will be there.
Related numbers for MCQs
  • Intellectual disability: IQ below 70.
  • Borderline intellectual functioning: IQ 70 to 85.
  • Normal IQ: 85 to 115 (some sources say 90 to 110).
  • NIMHANS SLD battery: used for the SLD assessment itself, after the IQ test.

Exam asked as per india

If the exam says "as per India", answer IQ more than 85 (>85).
That is the wording in the RPwD Gazette guidelines (2018, revised 2024). SLD assessment (Step 3, with the NIMHANS battery) is done only if the IQ is more than 85. Below that, intellectual disability or borderline intelligence is considered instead.
If the options are worded differently:
  • If ">85" and "≥85" both appear, pick ">85" for the Gazette.
  • If only "85" or "≥85" is given, pick that one. It is the same cut-off, and the Gazette's own Step 3 also says "85 or more".
  • If the options are ranges (for example "above 70", "above 85", "above 100"), pick above 85.
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