Early Testing all over the place

[insidevoice]

Has anyone had a child who on separate occasions have extremely different results?  DS 1 (age 3) is tested through the school district as he has been identified as SN due to global delay.  Now, I knew his initial testing was inaccurate, but we didn't worry about it- we have a decent picture of what's going on with him, and took the initial results with a grain of salt.  He was brought in for further testing following a HUGE developmental leap, and scored very differently- largely because his language delay is improving rapidly, and because he decided to go along with the testing that day. 

We aren't worried about identification at this point, I'm just curious about other kids who might have widely divergent test results. 

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by insidevoice 

he has been identified as SN due to global delay.  Now, I knew his initial testing was inaccurate, but we didn't worry about it- we have a decent picture of what's going on with him, and took the initial results with a grain of salt.  He was brought in for further testing following a HUGE developmental leap, and scored very differently- largely because his language delay is improving rapidly, and because he decided to go along with the testing that day. 

We aren't worried about identification at this point, I'm just curious about other kids who might have widely divergent test results. 

This is really more of a sn issue than a gifted issue. Testing with young children is often inaccurate due to the lack of ability to comply. It's often like a snap shot -- it shows you what was going on that day, but doesn't tell you much about what they will look like as adults. Even for kids without any sn issues, IQ testing isn't usually considered very reliable until they are about 6. Add for some special needs kids, they could be a lot older. For some people with certain kinds of issues, IQ will never truly show how smart they are because their brains are wired so differently, and IQ test assume "neurotypical."

The easier a kid is to figure out and the neater the testing process for them, the less likely they have sn. The more complex, the wider the scores from testing to testing or within subsets of the same test, the more likely it is that the child is atypical.
 

I have Dd who is both gifted and on the autism spectrum. I feel the evaluation she had when she was 13 was accurate, and I think it was the first one that really was.
 

[insidevoice]

That is probably a good point.  The analogy to the snapshot is particularly helpful- I know what he is capable of, but I am also very aware of the SN issues as well and the delays.  Sometimes it's hard separating out 'quirk' from SN with my kids.  Maybe there's no real point in trying, since it's  all part and parcel of the same kid.  

I think my fear with this little guy though is that- unlike with DD where the giftedness masked the SN for a long time, he's presenting the opposite way- and I fear people will label him as SN, and not see the whole picture.  I suppose that's where it's my job to make sure they see the whole child though- I need to learn to effectively advocate for him in he same way I did for her.  With DD, they wanted to overlook the SN issues because she was always so advanced. ' If she had Apsergers she could't keep up, if she had aspergers she wouldn't be capable of being in a mainstream class, she is just lazy and doesn't want to work on handwriting.. ' etc and so on. 

*sigh*

The lines get so blurry sorting it out.  

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by insidevoice 

 Sometimes it's hard separating out 'quirk' from SN with my kids.  Maybe there's no real point in trying, since it's  all part and parcel of the same kid.  

I think my fear with this little guy though is that- unlike with DD where the giftedness masked the SN for a long time, he's presenting the opposite way- and I fear people will label him as SN, and not see the whole picture.  I suppose that's where it's my job to make sure they see the whole child though- I need to learn to effectively advocate for him in he same way I did for her 

Have you read the book "Quirky Kids: When to worry and when NOT to worry" by Klass? I highly recommend it. It's about sensory issues, asperger's, non-verbal LD, ect. Very, very nice book.

For my DD, her sn definitely masked her giftedness for a very long time. We could tell she was bright (and so could every one else) but no one had any idea how bright. However, she did always seem to have at least average intelligence and it we have been very blessed with wonderful teachers, girls scout leaders, swim coaches, therapist, etc. I feel like we've met a lot of people who've been able just to take her at face value and contribute to her development in their own positive way. I feel like people who can overlook differences and focus on "personal best" are ideal for ALL kids, though they are imperative for quirky and 2E children.

My DD is now in highschool and on track to go to university, but her early years were all about remediating weaknesses. We played games and read wonderful books and all that, but I since I didn't know that "giftedness" was part of the package, I didn't do anything about "giftedness," (other than just general good parenting of supporting interest) and that's worked out fine for her. She could graduate from HS early (but she won't) and she is on track for a science major. But her preschool years were spent doing things like learning how to talk, learning how to move her body, learning basic self care. So many things that come naturally to most children did not come naturally to her.

For me, one of the toughest things about raising her has been making peace with the unknown. My DD has gone through periods where she was extremely behind her peers. She is, and always will be, neurologically different. We've really doubted what sort of adult life she would be capable of, and to a certain extent, we still do. BUT focusing on the next step is helpful. Trying to live in the present and enjoy her right now is helpful.

Letting go of outcomes and just being the best mom I can to her for today has almost been a spiritual act for me. Because even at this point, no one can tell for sure how the next step of her life will go.

[insidevoice]

I was blessed to have my DD first, and several years ahead of my DS 1.  In many ways, I realized through her I had to let go of control because there is no way I can control the outcome- I can only offer her the support I can offer and - as I commented to friends a while ago- this is a kid who will someday research something amazing for humanity- then go home and call me up to walk her through making some ramen noodles.  Brilliant, with big gaps.   It's easier with her sometimes- because it's not so visible. And because of the deficits, the PG stuff never stood out to make her look terribly different either. Quirky, but not really different.

DS is very clearly different.  At three he really doesn't speak much.  We've done loads of supportive therapy and he's made HUGE strides. He's very asynchronous, but as I'm watching him catch up, I think the fact that we saw his challenges earlier and intervened earlier will make everything a bit easier for him in the long run. 

It's nice to hear from a parent a few years down the road though- I value your insight a great deal.  Sometimes I  need a reminder to just keep walking this path and see where we are without getting too far ahead of ourselves. 

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by insidevoice 

  Sometimes I  need a reminder to just keep walking this path and see where we are without getting too far ahead of ourselves. 

me too!

At 3, DD was just starting to speak a little. She's taking her second year of high school Spanish this year! She's in an extremely quiet person. We've never once in her whole life told her to be quiet. But she can talk when she wants to.

[insidevoice]

That's very much how DS is.  He's just not wired that way...