A new, small-sample study in Israel found that the IQ of adults with mild intellectual disability (ID) improved after studying in a university-based program, reports the Jerusalem Post.

The study, led by Hefziba Lifshitz at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, examined the impact of 4.5 years of participation in postsecondary education (PSE) on students with mild ID compared to adults with ID who did not participate. The findings showed “significant” IQ improvement among the 12 adults in the study.

Despite the small sample size, the study’s authors note, they indicate “that time extension and mediation strategies enable adults with mild ID to achieve academic goals.”

Learn more about Lifshitz, who along with her BIU colleagues say they’ve determined that intelligence in ID individuals reaches its peak at around 40 to 45 years old, in the Jerusalem Post.

The study was published in the European Journal of Special Needs Education.