Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional "I've never seen a child like him, good luck!"

This phrase has been uttered by 7 doctors now. I thought we hit gold with doctor #8, but things have not been settling well with me and I don't feel like I am on the right course with my son. I need to know if I am just not accepting his true diagnosis, or if he possibly has been misdiagnosed.

My son is 6, and we initially started seeking help because he was on the verge of getting kicked out of preschool at age 4. He was inattentive, hyper, would bump into other kids on purpose, didn't listen to the teacher, and - OUR biggest concern - he had no currency. He did what he wanted, when he wanted to, and no punishment or bribe could deter him. If I asked him why he hit another child, it was always "because I wanted to." We saw psychiatrists, social workers, therapists, pedis, you name it, and no one could figure him out. The only lead we ever got (and from most everyone) was it "might" be Aspergers. I took that lead and made an appointment with a very well known dev pedi in the autism field.

She did 4 days of testing. According to the results - he scored just below the cutoff for a spectrum disorder, and the Slosson IQ test showed a 150 IQ. His results from the scoring by his teachers on the social aspects put him in the normal category, however. He is missing almost ALL of the hallmarks of Aspergers - no obsessions, no adherence to routine whatsoever (he actually craves change!), he engages in conversations with other kids just fine now (he was more of a loner in kindergarten tho). He claims he doesn't like other kids because most of them are boring. The dev pedi still diagnosed him as an Aspie and at that time, I was grateful to have a name for what we were dealing with and started reading up on books. Shortly after the dev pedi testing, he was also tested at school for G&T and tested into the program rather easily.

So naturally, for the past year I have been devouring books on Aspergers. However, I am finding myself skipping over multiple chapters as it just doesn't fit my kid at all. A lot of the previous issues are no longer relevant. His fine motor - which was an issue at the time of testing - is now completely at grade level. He has matured and no longer bumps into or is aggressive with other kids. And we've eliminated his tantrums and hyperactivity through diet (Feingold, plus removing casein, gluten and soy). He still doesn't have a currency, but I have found that he will listen to me and comply if I provide a rational, logical explanation.

I just started reading this book - Misdiagnosis of Gifted Kids - and in the beginning, they list the problems that highly/profoundly gifted kids often present with. ALL of my son's issues are on this list! I was floored!

So now I googled and found you all. I am looking for advice or guidance on this issue. Could it be that my son was misdiagnosed? If so, are there gifted "testing centers" or the like (like autism centers have) that can find out if he is highly gifted, and this is the cause of his issues? If you have a child like this and find that the Aspergers diagnosis DOES fit, could you link me to information, as what I'm finding isn't cutting it? And finally, how would you approach the dev pedi with this new information - the book is controversial and she is very well respected in her field, I feel like I really need to have my "ducks in a row" so to speak before I challenge her diagnosis?

Thanks so much!

Stacy

Hello and welcome. I'm not sure were you are located but below is a link of some recommended testers originally posted by Grinity.

Psychologists who specialize in IQ testing for Highly Gifted Children.
And a list of Psychologists who specialize in IQ testing for Highly Gifted Children.
Also know to be useful in sorting out 'Twice Exceptional' issues. (2E)

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...5059822090.000461ba927f03f403bed&z=4

This is a great book: Different Minds by Diedre Loveky. She describes what ADHD and Aspergers looks like in gifted kids versus non gifted. She clearly describes the difference between a gifted child with ADHD versus a gifted child with Aspergers and how they look different from children with average intelligence with these diagnoses.

Personally, I would not worry about the diagnosis unless perhaps one was medicating the wrong thing. I don't know if you are familiar yet with the term 2e, twice exceptional? It means gifted with an issue such as Aspergers, ADHD, a learning disability, etcetera.

I've found that even though behaviors are under control, things change with developmental spurts. Also, if the child is in public school, you never know when you might need an accommodation, IEP, Individual Education Plan. To go through and get the diagnosis again would be a hassle.

My child is PG with a diagnosis of sensory processing disorder, then ADHD, and now anxiety. We have had good years and bad years. We have done, therapy, diet, non drug interventions, counseling, and medication, and all approaches have served their purpose.

For example, 4 was a tough year, and so was 6.5 to 7, but year 8 was really bad, but whatever was going on then we got under control with diet and therapy for almost two years, but then ten came along and now it is something else. But you know, all the years I didn't mention were great; I enjoyed the brilliance.

Did you check the Davidson site to see if you already had the required tests for their organization? http://www.davidsongifted.org/young...holars___Qualification_Criteria_384.aspx

If not, and you think he is close, then maybe you should see someone on the list above for testing and another opinion. That is what we did, but whole picture is really important. I save all the documentation and opinions because I never know when they will be helpful.

I am not a teacher. My mom was. My friend is a G&T teacher w/13 years' experience and a Masters in it.

They're both saying if your kid's only currency is listening (and modifying behavior in rational and acceptable ways, as a result) when you explain things rationally and logically to him, it is highly unlikely, if not impossible, that he is an Aspie.

That's all I've got for you, but I trust them both. Get your child re-tested, or re-evaluated, on that score.

Also, I was not aware that the obsessional and/or other somewhat troublesome behaviors of Aspie kids could go away, or be grown out of. They can be moderated and he can somewhat adjust to those outward things w/behavior training, etc, but that he could not just make them stop/they do not just disappear, no matter what. If they do, then being Aspie was not the cause of them. That's what the psych told us when our kids' teacher last year intimated he might be, and we (and the psych and his peds dr) were all like, what? He's 7 and no one but you ever sees them, and only under certain circumstances/in certain environments, and they go away at will?

NO WAY. Something else is going on, we all said. And the something else turned out to be he's gifted. Go figure.

Get your child re-evaluated. Good luck.

I really don't have advice for you as we are going through pretty much the exact same thing with my daughter who turns 4 next week. In fact I have a thread about our issues just a little below this one titled "when is it more than just gifted?". I'm totally baffled by my child and have no idea what to do next.

Just wanted to let you know you are not alone!

Thank you all SO much for the responses. utkallie - thank you especially. It's one heck of a roller coaster ride, isn't it?

The main issue I have with NOT knowing is - where do we go next? I feel like I'm just winging it along here as a parent, and I desperately need some kind of solid ground to base my parenting decisions on. With the Aspergers diagnosis, I read everything I could on the subject, trying to get a map in place of sorts of what steps I should be taking with my child, what therapies he needs, what should the school be doing, in order to guarantee him success as an adult. I took each of his current challenges and tried to find a reasonable solution that we could try - and none of the ones suggested by the Aspergers books would work with my son! Minimize change in routines? He CRAVES that, he asks to take a new way home from school as a reward for having a good day! I was getting so frustrated that I just knew in my heart that this isn't the route we should be taking. I wasn't getting the answers I needed. That's why I'm now pursuing the gifted route to see if THOSE solutions might work. Plus, we're spending countless hours and money in therapies right now for a problem he may not even have. While the therapies in their own right may not hurt, they are taking up time that could be used for extracurricular activities such as science camp and the like that could enrich him as a gifted student. I want to make the most of every day for him, not subject him to OT that he hates and doesn't even need. But if he DOES need it, then I don't want to be the one to make the decision to cut it off, KWIM?

He's at a good equilibrium right now. He hates school because he's bored (with the exception of the 1 hour a week he gets pulled for G&T), but his behavior is finally on track and his work is fine. He's only been sent to the principal's office once this year, as opposed to 2-3 times a week last year. But I also know that behavior waxes and wanes with these kids. I've heard things tend to start up again around age 8, and I would really love to know the driving force behind WHY he does these things so I'm not flailing and trying a billion different approaches when the next hurdle hits. Because that has been my MO in the past, and it's exhausting. There has to be an easier way - not a parenting manual per say, but at least a more narrowed list of options to try.

That google map was invaluable. We don't live remotely near any of the psychologists listed, but we will be traveling to Denver for Spring Break next year. I will contact the center there and see if they can work with us. What would I ultimately love to hear? That we've seen this type of kid before, that my child is X,Y and Z, and here are some good resources to check out. Is that too much to ask?

WookieMouse, I was really excited to read your post. My eldest son is also a quirky gifted and we are going next week to have the Aspie part evaluated. I can really relate to what you said about not wanting to waste time on things that don't help yet not wanting to cut out things that might help. It is so hard to know what to pursue.

As for the no currency issue, when my son (who is now 8) was younger, I tried every strategy to motivate him I could find and most of them just did not work. Three resources I did find very helpful were

Gordon Neufeld's The Power to Parent DVD series - not explicitly targeted at gifted kids but all five of his kids were highly gifted and his approach really worked for my son.

The Explosive Child by Ross Greene

This article by Barbara Probst http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10441.aspx

Good luck on your journey!

Sarah

Hi Stacy,

My DS9 has AS. Here's what I think.


That may not be something to take at face value. It is really important, regardless of IQ, to be able to have reciprocally rewarding relationships with peers. This statement may mean "they're boring" or it may mean "I don't know how to deal with them." Or both.


How are the peer relationships? Does he seek the company of other kids, and does he know how to engage them?

Do you ever get compliance without lots of explanation?

You didn't say a lot about the symptoms you were seeing, so I'm not going to attempt an armchair diagnosis. There is a huge range of how the symptoms are expressed in AS-- it's a "syndrome," which means a bunch of features that tend to occur in clumps, but almost nobody has them all, and each person's expression of it looks different.

But elsewhere in this thread you expressed concern about doing the wrong therapies. I would never make decisions about therapy based on a diagnosis anyway-- I would make them based on what symptoms we want to ameliorate.

I wouldn't send a kid to OT because of an AS diagnosis-- but if he had a funny pencil grip, poor motor planning, etc., I would send him.

I wouldn't send him to social skills therapy because of the diagnosis alone, but if he had trouble connecting with peers, I would. And so on.

I'd suggest you not get hung up on the diagnosis, and instead take a frank look at what issues you and his teachers are seeing. If there are things that look like they need work, find a way to work on them, and use the diagnosis to get help for that if it's useful. And change the plan as things improve or different issues crop up.

DeeDee

We've dealt with the labels by others who claimed to be professionals in the past with my son and like you I just had that gut instinct that they weren't hitting the mark. They were trying to fit him into a check the box so they could feel like they were giving us answers but they really didn't know what to make of him.
Although my son does have currencies that we can use to work with his behavior, they aren't what the normal school system tends to use or think work.
We did as you are doing in Spring, found a testing place that was knowledgeable about the gifted child and I highly recommend the GDC in Denver
Best of luck on your journey!

Wookiemouse -- you say that in preschool he was "hyper" and "inattentive" -- I assume that a diagnosis of ADHD-hyperactive and or inattentive was at least discussed?

You may also want to look into Executive Function Disorder.

I HIGHLY recommend "The Explosive Child" mentioned by another poster, too.

You may find the SENG wbsite helpful, below is a link to their media page.

http://www.sengifted.org/publications_audiolibrary.shtml

The last recording is:
Practical Strategies for Managing Intensity, Inflexibility, Perfectionism and Sensitivity
Speaker: Barbara Probst, MSW, LCSW.
It speaks of working on given issues that are of concern instead of searching for a single diagnosis.
Her book, "When the labels don't fit" is starting out good I have not really read that much of it yet.

I am also reading "The Explosive Child" by Ross Greene and "Different Minds" by Diedre Loveky, I also find both of them helpful.

I'm not sure if the book "the nurtured heart approach transforming the difficult child workbook" has been suggested it is also helpful.

wookiemouse, I sent you a PM -- flashing envelope near the top of your screen.

Thanks for all the referrals - I'm very familiar with "The Explosive Child" and have "Different Minds" on my nightstand right now. And we are currently filling out the paperwork for the Gifted Development Center in Denver to get a consultation started, thank you SO much for that referral!

DeeDee - he tries really hard to relate to other kids. He spent 2 days over Thanksgiving break watching "Power Rangers" because that's what his "best friend" at school is in to. But it's so not him! He'd rather watch "How It's Made" but he sat through several cartoons because he wanted to be able to talk with his friend about it. He plays games with the other kids at school, like Star Wars, even though he doesn't know what it's about - he just wants to be part of the group. So he's not a loner, but I think he's very much aware of how different he is. The kids he's gotten along with best in the past are either a year or 2 younger that he can boss around, or 4-5 years older that he can talk to on THEIR level. On the compliance issue - I never have to give a lengthy explanation, just a logical one (usually, the simpler the better). For example - we had planned to go to a local jumpy place last Friday as a reward for him having a good week at school. We had talked about it all week. When Friday came around, I had had a long day and was tired, so I told him we could go on Saturday instead. He asked "Whyyyy???? You said we could go today!" and I told him I was tired, so he could go today and jump for an hour, or go on Saturday after I rested and jump for 2 hours. He says "We'll go Saturday!" and the discussion was over. ALL potential arguments are like this. I can change plans at any time and as long as I provide a reason that makes sense, he's fine with it.

HoneyBadger (LOVE LOVE LOVE the name, btw) - he was initially diagnosed as ADHD at age 4 by a child psychiatrist. She prescribed Adderall and he was on it for one week with no behavioral changes and horrible side effects, so I said enough. We decided to pursue other options instead - we started the Feingold diet (no artificial colors or preservatives) and within 3 months, the hyperactivity was gone and she said he no longer fit the clinical definition of ADHD and we were pretty much shoved out the door with an "that's all I can do, sorry!" We took it further and removed casein (dairy), gluten and soy. In doing so, we eliminated all tantrums, pushing/bumping into other kids and objects, aggression, and his eczema. We tested all 3 back in after about 6 months - the casein reaction was immediate (mother of all meltdowns) but he seemed to do ok with gluten and soy. Then on day 3 of testing, the school called us to ask what we did to the kid since he was out of control. We took them back out of his diet, he went back to his cheerful self. Interestingly, the misdiagnosis book I read said 30-40% of gifted kids have food sensitivities (specifically listed were food dyes, gluten, dairy and soy!) that result in behavioral issues. Another problem solved!

I DO agree that it's not about the labels - it's about treating the issues. But there is also the line regarding what IS or is NOT an issue. If my DS has poor handwriting because of poor fine motor skills that comes with the Aspergers, then by all means, he should be in therapy. But if he has poor handwriting because he's simply gifted and most gifted kids have poor handwriting because it's not important to make it nice and pretty, then it's a trait and not necessarily something to correct. He seems to have no issues coordinating his little fingers in building small circuitry sets in his room for hours on end. The same with inattentiveness - when the class is reading BOB books during storytime and he keeps wandering, yet he just finished his 4th Lemony Snicket book while sitting perfectly still in his bedroom for half the day, maybe it's not ADHD, but boredom?

What I'm basically seeking is a second opinion of a diagnosis, which I think any parent would do if this were a physical ailment. I haven't pulled him out of any therapy, we'll continue to do so because what he is currently doing is no harm, no foul. But I also don't want to be sitting here 3 years down the road, kicking myself because his issues have worsened and I knew in my gut that we weren't pursuing the right treatment - whether it is indeed therapy for Aspergers, or getting him into a more challenging school environment. I'd rather get it right the first time if I can!

Hi Wookiemouse,


I think if you want to rule in/rule out developmental issues like AS or ADHD you should also make sure to see someone who's dealt extensively with those issues. In our family's experience, if there's anything else going on in addition to the giftedness, that's actually a bit more important than the gifted piece at this age, in terms of figuring out a plan.

FWIW, we found that the autism experts tended to handle giftedness with reasonable aplomb when evaluating him, whereas people who saw the giftedness as primary completely wrote off DS's serious problems as "quirks," thereby delaying DS's treatment by years.


I'd definitely seek more information were I in your shoes; just saying to be aware that the expertise of the person you ask can seriously change the result.


I'd say that if the handwriting is illegible, it should probably be worked on, regardless of the cause. It's so easy to get hung up on giftedness, and use it to excuse things that can be remediated through careful teaching. Handwriting doesn't have to be calligraphy, but the teachers who will mark his exam papers all the way through college will be well disposed to him if it's at least legible.


Quite possible. And yet-- ADHD is an issue not mainly of inattention per se, but of regulating attention. It's perfectly possible for a person with ADHD to pay intense attention for long hours to something that interests him; it may also be nearly impossible for such a person to rip himself out of a book he loves, or sit still for something in class, because those activities require the ability to regulate one's attention.

What you're describing here doesn't rule out ADHD, only indicates that he's unusual both in capacity for deep attention-paying and for wandering when it's not appropriate to do so.

I think further evaluation could help you sort this out.

DeeDee

Wookiemouse,

Is Profoundly gifted a diagnosis? or just who he is? I'm asking because he sounds sooo much like my DS did as a little guy. I totally understand where you're at and how you feel. Rewards never worked, all motivation for him had to be internal. "Because I said so" was a complete waste of air. If the reason made sense, he'd comply. As a toddler it was speculated that he was autistic, when that fell through the cracks, aspergers was considered. At 8, he is none of those, just "wicked smart".

I've already posted this twice today on other threads, but what does your "mommy gut" tell you? Do you see any behaviors when he is truly engaged, chasing his current passion? That gut feeling, what is it telling you? The tantrums, emotional explosions and such are fairly common for PG'lets. mamy people believe that a childs EQ mirrors their IQ. I tend to agree with that statement based on who I live with.

For what it's worth, my son watches "How it's made" constantly. Why does there have to be a "diagnosis" because he doesn't like cartoons and finds his age peers boring? If that IQ number is valid, he should! Instead of looking for a diagnosis, step back, and really try to figure out what he needs. Have him tested. All information helps paint a picture.

Profoundly gifted is not something that can be cured or medicated away. But it can be managed and reveled in once you know what you are looking at!

What state are you in? Send me a PM (private message)if you don't want it public or if you have a million other questions.

Tell your son to watch "Through the Wormhole" he will love it!

Hi WookieMouse
My DS 5 has a lot of similar issues in terms of relating to other kids and the handwriting. We were "advised" in pre-k that he needed to be more like the other kids, he needed to be doing what they were doing, he needed to learn to socialize. We did not realize at first was that what they were saying was that he needed to change who he was to relate to age-mates. I once asked him why he always has to play his stories and not the other kids, and he said because they don't have any good ideas - and from his point of view he is right. Yesterday, he told us about a superhero he named Forces of Atom - who has the powers of gravity, strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force and electromagnetism. He flies by repulsing himself off the em field of the earth (was going to post that in the brag thread, but here works :)) None of his age-mates in pre-k ever got anything he was doing. And it wasn't fair to ask him to fundamentally change himself, IMO. Now he is in a gifted K, I don't know enough yet about the other kids to know if there is anybody in his vicinity in terms of this stuff - but he feels so much better about this school and these people - that he volunteered he was thankful for it on thanksgiving!

The writing is the bane of our existence right now - but he is improving - its just slow. So in a school designed to move quickly, he is not moving quickly enough on this physical and mental process. We did some OT last year and the school OT recommended some things for the teacher to implement. What we have been beating DS over the head with is the fact that doing the writing is learning the writing, even if its boring or you think you won't get better. He does not understand that he "learned" about the forces from his books and the NOVA special. Its not work from his perspective - so we had to explain that he was working at it and that he needs to do that same kind of repetition with physical things - and we are working overtime to praise the minuscule improvements he is making to show him that he is getting better at it. What I have noticed is that when the writing assignment is interesting, he is more apt to do it and do it closer to correctly that when its the mind-numbing just write letters or answer questions. Another thing that seems to be working was telling him that his teacher only knows what he is capable of by what he shows, and if he shows bad work when he can do better, she wont know he can do better and will keep assigning it until he shows it. He seemed somewhat dumbfounded by this!!

So I think you can't separate the gifted stuff from friendships - its hard to be friends with someone you have absolutely no frame of reference with, but it can be helpful to work to find one - whether its because its family or because they are neighbors, some connection. But I have noticed also that DS really prefers older kids and adults until he met age mates capable of understanding his interests. And there he realized that a 5th grader might be less interested in pretending than his K mates. The writing and the school work is different to me - that is about responsibility. He doesn't have to like it, but it has to be done. So what do we need to do to make it happen - do it in small pieces, add something, what?

Just some thoughts from another corner

DeHe

At least half the parents on here will tell you that their children have writing issues. Not sure why but it seems to be really common for GT kids.

I asked my son and he told me that for him, the pencil can't keep up with his thoughts, he loses his place. Frustration sets in and he tries to write faster but that doesn't help either. We work on it in small doses. He is allowed to type anything longer than a paragraph at school.

His handwriting was actually 100% on first grade level at our first parent-teacher meeting of the year. She also said his relationship with peers was on par as well. This all changed over the summer, from kinder to 1st grade - maturity perhaps? We did see a pedi neuro a few years ago who said autism didn't exist, it was all just frontal lobe immaturity and some kids catch up, others don't. I thought he was a nut but the more I see, the more I think he may be right.

Shari - we're in south Texas, not *too* far from you. Is profoundly gifted a diagnosis...I wonder. I wonder if school districts account for it at all, those without a dedicated GT program. Your typical gifted child will be bored in school now and then but generally doesn't act out or have behavior problems. But PG kids are so into their own worlds that they have a lot of trouble doing what is expected of them and behavioral issues result, I'm sure teachers can't see beyond the acting out most of the time. A ton of these kids fall through the cracks and are never tested because their schoolwork doesn't show what they're capable of. They're also more often medicated, which can dull their giftedness. The book was good in identifying the behaviors - all of what I've listed with my DS fit the bill - but not how to manage them. Hence another order placed with Amazon. So if he is identified in this subgroup, I wonder if he could receive provisions at school to balance out the behaviors, ie, having giftedness as a diagnosis? I guess we'll learn more about that after his testing. Anyways, there's a big difference between an Aspie who doesn't interact with peers because he doesn't understand the social relationship, and a PG who "gets it" but doesn't care because it's not a big deal to him. I really don't want to be paying $200/month plus 4 hours of therapy to teach my DS something that yes, he knows, but no, he doesn't care and will care when he needs it, if indeed he's quirky smart like your kiddo. My mommy gut tells me he isn't an Aspie. When we first got the diagnosis, I was ecstatic - after 2 years and numerous clinicians, I had something on paper I could hold on to, not "sorry, I can't help you" again. Someone who knew more than I did found out what was troubling my child and now I could read more about it and find all the tips and tricks that would make our life easier. But I have a shelf of books on Aspergers now, and they still don't make sense. Yes, he has some of the same characteristics, but the source of trouble is different. He's not a "little professor" by any stretch of the imagination, he's still just a very odd, quirky kid. I would love for him to fit the Aspie mold, to have a neat little pocket to fit in to, but it's not happening. I truly believe he's not on the spectrum.

And thanks for the tip on the Wormhole, we missed it on the Science channel but that would make a great stocking stuffer for Christmas.

DeeDee - his initial diagnosis of Aspergers was made by a developmental pediatrician who is one of the top in the field for autism. We were on a 10 month wait list just to be tested, which took 4 separate days. So she is very well versed in that disorder - her own son has Aspergers. However, she is not versed in gifted kids. So on one hand, I have an ASD expert telling me she thinks he has Aspergers but he doesn't test on the ADOS and there are a lot of characteristics that can't be explained by the Aspergers (she thought it might possibly be bipolar, which is mentioned in the misdiagnosis book as another frequently misdiagnosed condition). My plan is to have him tested at the gifted center and if they come back and say hey, this kid is just gifted and all his quirks are part of his giftedness, then I'm going back to the dev pedi with this information, and the misdiagnosis book, and ask her what she thinks and would she revise her diagnosis based on this information or not? Or, if the center comes back and says "looks like Aspergers," then I have my answer. Either way, I will be able to gain a little more insight into what makes him tick and hopefully it will help to guide my parenting. Because right now, I have a bookshelf full of books that have approaches that haven't done squat.

DeHe - looking forward to when schools go entirely digital. My kid would fly through homework if the assignments were on an iPad....his G&T class are writing out fables and I didn't know the kid LIKED writing until they did it all on iPad.

Since you are in Texas, you might want to have him tested in Arizona by Dr. Behnkin. He is consindered to be one of the premier authorities on GT kids and he is WAY cheaper than the GDC. Plus, I know a few people that have had issues with the GDC, including their need to use the SB-LM, a test that was put aside years ago by everyone else in the GT world. It tends to give really, really high scores. When I called them about testing my son, they indicated that rather than use extended norms, they would use the LM. By the time I was done with the phone consult at a cost of 225. I was convinced it was not the place for my son.

I have Dr. B's info if you want it. IQ and achievement for 1000. and they are very good.

Oh and "through the wormhole" is on every week.....

Wookiemouse

We had many of the same issues with DS7 last year, this year it is a bit better a little more maturity and a grade skip has helped some.

I sent you a PM as well.

The ADOS is currently AFAIK the most respected test for diagnosing autism spectrum disorders. If she did the test correctly, and he didn't score within the diagnostic range, why did she diagnose him as being on the spectrum? That is indeed very odd.

DeeDee

Perhaps the pediatrician was trying to take the compensating power of the giftedness into account?

DeeDee - my thoughts exactly. She said that although he didn't score on the ADOS, the characteristics he showed were the same as an Aspergers child, so in her professional opinion, she felt he was more than likely Aspergers - but extremely high functioning, and with additional issues she can't place. All those "characteristics" that she used to identify him were also characteristics of gifted kids.

Shari - Oh no! I didn't need negative feedback on GDC. We chose them because we already had plane tix to Denver for Spring Break (our first snowcation for the kids)....AZ just wouldn't be financially possible at this time. Inflated scores are ok, I'm not needing to know an exact number, just to see if he crosses the gifted/PG line (which he is pretty darned close to on the Slosson) and if they see any incidence of Aspergers. That's the main thing I need to rule out - I already know he's gifted, but I have to know if it's more than just that.

aculady - I doubt it. She knew he had a high IQ but he hadn't been tested for giftedness at the time of his ASD testing. He was tested for ASD in October, and had the GT testing in December. I don't think we ever notified her of the results - he's only been back a few times to check in.

Wookiemouse, there are other strong testing specialists in Denver, outside of the GDC. I'll PM you the name of the tester we've used. She used to be with the GDC, I think she actually helped cofound it. Her testing is also a good deal less expensive than GDC.

That's awesome Coll. I would love it if you would PM me with her info.