Assessing the educational and cognitive needs of individuals with mental retardation is a very complex process. An appropriately chosen assessment can be a very effective tool that can be used to measure the progress of our students. The teacher must carefully select assessment procedures and make judgments regarding the major areas to be assessed and then determine which areas of performance need to be further tested. Effective use of the findings will allow teachers to design instruction and lessons specifically to meet the needs of their students. Where does the teacher start? A starting point is to collect and then organize information from teachers' previous reports, performance test results and, above all, psychologists' reports on the severity of the disorder. Theories regarding the components of intelligence and their measurement have been proposed and debated for over 100 years. years (Taylor, Richards, & Brady, 2005). Currently, most intelligence tests consist of subtests that measure various qualities, such as factual knowledge, short-term memory, abstract reasoning, visuospatial abilities, and common sense (Rich, n.d.). IQ tests are considered good predictors of academic success. They are not good, nor should they be used to measure interpersonal skills or creativity. Although IQ scores tend to be fairly stable, IQ will vary over time. The Stanford-Binet and Wechsler scales for children are the most common individually administered IQ tests. A detailed description of each test is summarized in Table 1. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) The Wechsler Intelligence Scale assessment helps schools find better solutions and develop learning plans to meet the specific needs of individual students… half of document ...... scale for… (2011). Retrieved 04/01/11 from http://libraryassu.edu/guides/1_3_20_1.htmRich, J. (n.d.). Intelligence test. In psychological testing: A guide to psychological testing and assessment. Retrieved from http://www.psychologicaltesting.com/Stanford-Binet intelligence scales (2011). Retrieved 03/31/11 from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Stanford-Binet+Intelligence+ScalesStanford-Binet intelligence test (2011). Retrieved 03/31/11 from http://www.minddisorders.com/Py-Z/Standford-Intelligence-Scale.htmlTaylor, R., Richards, S., & Brady, M. (2005). Mental retardation: Historical perspectives, current practices, and future directions. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (2010). Retrieved 04/01/11 from http://wwww.schoolpsychologyblog.com/Wechsler-intelligence-scale-fot-children-wis-ivl