Aspergers and MENSA

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I just can't join Mensa. I am not smart enough. With an IQ of only 82, I can't join. My brother has an IQ of 135. I don't know what my parents have but mine is surely the lowest by far. I can't figure out simple puzzles, I can't learn math, my short term memory is absolutely horrible, my general knowledge is lacking but I do have a great sense of humor and I do have a decent knowledge of psychology. Online my IQ scores are totally different. I typically score in the 120 range. I do know however, that online tests are unreliable and always would show a high score. I also guess on the online tests and apparently I am a good guesser. Even in video games when there is a section with problem solving or a puzzle, I can't figure it out and have to cheat. On one of the IQ tests I took it said "it is a 90% probability that the patient's IQ is between 78 and 86." This is in a psychological evaluation. Basically if it is the lower part it could be 9 points away from actual mental retardation and definitely in the BIF range (Borderline Intellectual Functioning). I am not proud of this fact about me. I would do anything to be smart. I do know that I did well in school surprisingly. I took the easiest classes. I was in special ed. One of the special ed classes was study skills and it helped me get high grades on the homework from other classes. Basically I cheated to get all those "a's." In college I didn't have special ed but once again took easy below college level classes. Once I eventually got up to the college level courses, I struggled like a starving artist trying to get money. In Oceanography, I believe I got the lowest grade in the class a B. The reason is I got help. The one I was confident in was weather class and got the highest grade in the entire class a perfect 100% in that particular class. I took flying classes which weather was part of it. Also since childhood I had a great interest in weather. So, I had a major advantage over the other students. I am not totally stupid though because I figured out how to be a great artist. I know even people who have intellectual disability can be amazing artists. Savant skill in action. Why are real IQ tests and online IQ test so different in the scores? How can I score above average in one but almost mentally challenged in the other? Does anyone else have that experience?

This interestingly links to something I heard yesterday at a work training course.

I'm a primary teacher, and the course was about learning- the person running it was going on about how emotions and social abilities were a measure of intelligence: that people are only intelligent if they are emotionally intelligent, and that all learning that is memorable and therefore good links the learning to emotions.

I, of course, sat there fuming at this- that may be correct for NTs, but that's not for people with ASDs like me: I have an IQ of 154, and am in Mensa, and show myself to be pretty intelligent, but at the same time, my emotional IQ is 55- in the seriously ret*d range.
So how does this "link learning to emotion" rubbish explain that?

I was a member of Mensa for a year or so back in the 70s - I went to one or two meetings, but they just made me feel like a misfit.

Well, back then, most things made me feel like a misfit. These days, I'm used to it.

And, EQ measures how well we get along with our fellow human beings. It's not a bad thing, even if people like us can't play. Someone should put together a scale that measures how well NTs get along with autistics.

I would be interested in taking their test just to find out what my IQ is number-wise. I was given a test 40 years ago, and was told by the shrink who gave it to me that it was so high he would not tell me the results, presumably so that I would rely on my own talents in life rather than resting my laurels on a superficial number. Tests I have taken suggest a number somewhere in the 135-145 range. I met a Mensa member one time who boasted of having an IQ of 130. I said nothing but felt disgusted at his boastfulness and decided right then and there that I would never want to be a Mensa member if they behaved like that.

I would never join a club that would have me as a member. - Mark Twain

I wouldn't be allowed in - I've got no high IQ.

I never thought I would be eligible to join, as my IQ test result at school wasn't high enough. I did some online tests after school and generally scored around 110-125, still not high enough.

However, I actually did a proper IQ test recently and scored 132, which is just high enough to qualify for MENSA. I wouldn't join, though. I don't consider myself that smart and I cannot be bothered with people who put such faith in things like IQ tests. I prefer creative or inspiring people to those who are simply good at solving puzzles.

There's no set, official number as such- and it totally depends on which IQ test you do

Quote from website:
As different IQ tests were developed, each was given its own scoring system. Therefore, an IQ of 150 is a meaningless claim unless you know the actual test which was used. In order to compare one IQ test against another, the scores are converted to 'percentiles', i.e. where a person's score falls in comparison to the rest of the population by percentage. Mensa offers membership to anyone whose IQ score places them within the top two per cent of the population, no matter which approved test was used.

A top 2% mark in any of these frequently used tests below qualifies you for entry to Mensa. The minimum test mark to get into Mensa is:

•Cattell III B - 148
•Culture Fair - 132
•Ravens Advanced Matrices - 135
•Ravens Standard Matrices - 131
•Wechsler Scales - 132

So you could get 147 on the first one, and fall short, or 132 on the second and get in.