I need help understanding my kid's test scores & 2e nature - Page 2

[KCMichigan]

Originally Posted by Jen Muise 

I would describe her as super sensitive to sound, she is very good at concentrating but noise disruptions really bother her - she seems to be able to hear *everything* or nothing at all.  Like she's missing a filter or something.  She's like that with visual information too, she seems to see every detail and isn't always able to pick out the important information in a timely fashion, but it seems easier to deal with most of the time

That thing about drawing letters is interesting, I've always said that dd draws letters as tho they are pictures - we have pages upon pages of " A a " " B b " etc written hugely and decorated beautifully with polka dots and rainbows and such.  and, she seemed to need to copy letters *exactly*, there was no flexibility for the minor changes we all make when we're writing. 

This describes one of my DDs and we are exploring CAPD (central auditory processing disorder)

http://www.tsbvi.edu/seehear/spring00/centralauditory.htm

She is a good reader though and has good ideas-- but struggles to get them down on paper. She also has hearing sensitivities---her teachers always ask if she has had her hearing tested (yes, it is fine). She has a hard time filtering noises as well. We have confirmation from an OT that she has slow processing speed but they are waiting for her to turn 7 since most tests for CAPD are not accurate until then due to developmental differences. She also has some ASD tendencies (sensory overload, toewalks, etc).

Just something else to explore.

[Jen Muise]

wow, that list of symptoms for CAPD describes her pretty much exactly, except the music part.  I'm having a hard time following who diagnoses that, do you go to a Speech/ Lang Path?

[KCMichigan]

Originally Posted by Jen Muise 

wow, that list of symptoms for CAPD describes her pretty much exactly, except the music part.  I'm having a hard time following who diagnoses that, do you go to a Speech/ Lang Path?

Yes, at age 7 we will get an evaluation through our local Children's Hospital Speech & Language Center. I have already contacted them. =] It is different than a general speech eval. and our insurance will cover a small portion of it as well, but not until at or after age 7.

[Jen Muise]

well, that wont tell the whole story but it certainly sounds like it might be a big part :)

[ollyoxenfree]

Originally Posted by Jen Muise 

 We are incredibly frustrated with the public system and are moving her to an LD focused school, but she's going to have to go back to public school in a couple years because we won't be able to afford to keep up the tuition.  So, I want to make sure we've got our bases covered. 

The psychologist we saw has come highly recommended and has 25+ years experience with the school board, so should be familiar with the processes here - although she has suggested that dd would not do well in a gifted class even if she technically qualifies for it.  I don't want to have to pay for all this again tho, so if there's a way that the test can be scored so that the system has a piece of paper that will let me opt in or opt out of gifted then I'd like that choice.  

I skimmed past this part yesterday, but it struck me as I was just re-reading through the thread. I think planning ahead and keeping options open is very wise, particularly with a child who presents in an unusual way. Even if a gifted class isn't the right fit now, you may find that it is the best option later. You may find that your dd's needs change if she is given classroom accommodations and as she matures, and she learns to compensate. Also, depending on the nature of the gifted program, it may not be a bad fit now. My DD's strengths are opposite to yours. Her giftedness is demonstrated more on the Verbal scale rather than the Perceptual Reasoning, but she also scored low on processing speed and working memory. We were concerned how she would do in a gifted program with students who were more globally gifted, but her teachers all remarked that she was well placed and belonged in the class. Even if there had been some need to accommodate her weaker areas (and there weren't), it was definitely a better option than a regular class. Having said that, that gifted program housed a fair number of 2E students, including students on the spectrum, so the teachers were very good at accommodating a variety of learning issues. 

We've also moved between school systems. Before leaving, I've always ensured that paperwork was in place in case we ever needed to return. We had formal identification of giftedness in place and confirmation of special programming needs (IEP). In some public school systems, a student has to register first and attend their local school and wait for evaluation and identification before they can be processed into a gifted program. If you already have the identification in place, you may avoid an unnecessary delay in processing and placement, if and when you come back. At the least, investigate with your public school to find out what you can do now to plan ahead. This is something I'd meet with the gifted program supervisor and try to get in writing, rather than relying on the verbal say-so of your school principal or educational resource teacher, unless they are all the same people! 

I might also discuss it with the psychologist and explain the situation. She should understand your need to keep options open. I'd ask her to write her report with open-ended wording, confirming the fact of your dd's giftedness and whether she qualifies for a gifted program, but avoiding any recommendations in writing for or against it at this time - at least in the part of the report sent to the school. Otherwise, especially if you haven't lined up the paperwork with the school system before you leave, you may have a tougher time getting a gifted placement in a couple of years. 

[Jen Muise]

thx olly, great advice!