In many states, eligibility for disability services is largely defined by whether or not a person scores 70 or below on an IQ test. But a panel of judges is now questioning the practice.

The state of Massachusetts is being ordered to reevaluate its approach for assessing individuals with disabilities after an appeals court ruled last week that the state’s Department of Developmental Services relied too much on IQ score.

The ruling came in a case involving Paula Tartarini, a 45-year-old woman who was denied services after scoring 71 on an IQ test even though she depends on her mother to make her meals and manage her money.

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State officials insisted that they consider “clinical judgement” in addition to IQ, but the court said that the state failed to explain why it relied so heavily on an intelligence score and ordered the agency to reconsider Tartarini’s case, reports The Boston Globe. To read more click here.

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