This project was the result of a collaborative effort between LEND trainees and representatives of the Connecticut State Council on Developmental Disabilities (CT DD Council). To begin the eligibility process for home and community-based services for intellectual disability (ID) in Connecticut, an individual must have a score of 69 or below on a standardized intelligence quotient (IQ) test. However, a study conducted by the CT DD Council determined that a significant portion of the population with an IQ of above 69 would have a level of need (LON) high enough to require services.
The study’s purpose was to comprehensively examine state-by-state criteria for determining eligibility for state-funded programs for individuals with ID. The methodology involved reviewing government websites of all 50 states and the District of Columbia to identify state eligibility criteria. The states were then categorized into groups based on their use of IQ in eligibility determinations. It was found that 24 states do not rely on IQ for eligibility decisions, 19 states use IQ in some way, and eight states depend on a singular IQ score for eligibility determinations. Linked on this page is a comprehensive table that lists eligibility criteria related to IQ of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
There exists a significant discrepancy in how IQ is used across the country in service eligibility decisions for individuals with ID. The stakes of these eligibility decisions cannot be stressed enough, and therefore inequity within this decision-making process cannot persist. This study serves as the basis for continuing conversations surrounding current practices related to eligibility decision-making for waiver services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. States and legislators may use this information to further inform their conceptualization of IQ and how it is related to developments and growth in the field. Currently, there are eight states where a one-point difference in IQ score can mean the difference between being afforded lifelong access to necessary support or not.
This study informed House Bill 5001 which passed into CT Public Act 23-137 which requires the re-development of the statutory definition of intellectual and developmental disabilities for CT.