Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Nervous to get test results for DS

We finally decided to have DS tested after his Kindergarten year in Montessori (his first year in that program). He did the WISC-IV today and is also going to do an achievement test and personality test, I believe, later this week for a full assessment. We just want to really understand him and at least have some "back up" when talking to the school. BUT I am really nervous that the scores will come back not reflecting what we know in our hearts (on one hand that seems crazy but on the other, I need to prepare for that possibility).

We are sure our son is gifted - perhaps EG but I am still trying to wrap my head around all of this stuff. I'm just so nervous that the results will not support our observations, I guess because of some of the issues he had in Kindergarten. His teacher was questioning whether or not he would be able to do what he is supposed to do in the Lower Elementary room as a first grader (in terms of following directions, completing the work, etc). I think what she was trying to tell me describes asynchronous development but she clearly didn't know anything about that and I didn't either until I started researching gifted kids and behavior issues.

The issues in my mind basically boiled down to 1) he talks - a lot 2) he likes to do things his way and gets frustrated with others if he gets interrupted doing something he NEEDS to finish 3) does not like having to do work that he already knows how to do 4) didn't seem to know how to interact with the kids well (this has improved quite a bit during the year but I still think that he jabbers on a lot about stuff the other kids don't care about and they zone out) - he tended to hang with the younger kids at first.

I did the Ruf Assessment online and he came back at Level 3 which I shared with the teacher via email but she never responded to that (he won't have her next year anyway).

Anyway, my plan was to take my sons scores to the head of the school and discuss which of the two lower el teachers would be the best one to take on DS this fall After all, he will have this teacher for the next 3 years. Overall, we have been really pleased with the curriculum at Montessori. Although they made DS go through all the phonics books he could have read when he was 2, they did have him reading chapter books too (about 2nd - 4th grade level, I think) and at one point, had him writing one or two sentence summaries of each chapter! Clearly, this was a better choice over the public school we are zoned for. I also saw his notebook where he was multiplying a 4 digit number by a single digit. In Kindergarten!?! I love it

OK this turned out way longer than I intended. Thanks for hanging in there. I just love reading this forum where there are parents and kids just like our family. People who understand!!

I'll post when I get the scores. Don't know how long it will take to get them.

I'll break out my theme song from last spring for you:
Hang in there! My dd was tested through the school in January and we had to wait until MAY. I hope your wait is shorter! Focus on any and everything else!

Who is doing the testing? Is it an IEE or the school?

I can totally relate to your anxious feelings about waiting for test results. I was convinced that my DS did not do well on the test because he only took three hours on the WPPSI. I was questioning myself....... Based on your description of your DS, he is clearly gifted and he will test as such. As far as him not engaging with age peers, wanting things done "just so" , talking non stop, and refusal to do repetitive work- these are all behaviors that my son exhibited. Moreover, they a pretty typical of GT kiddos. My son continues to have difficulty relating to age peers; it's our biggest struggle. We would love to connect with other HGT children in the area. Anyhow, try to relax and stay positive while you wait for you DS scors. They will undoubtedly confirm what you already know. Hopefully, the testing will provide some additional insight as well as serve as a springboard for effective advocacy.

LOL thanks daytripper Yikes, I hope it's not that long!

Mamabear - we went through a university that offers psychological services/testing. He goes to a Montessori so they don't do any testing.

Thanks Denvermom - I've looked on Meetup for gifted kids groups in my area but came up with nothing. I may have to start one of my own even though I am a total introvert and that goes against my nature LOL But it's not about me right? I'd love to see DS interact with kids on his wavelength.

I know that Mensa gets a bad rap around here occasionally, but I did want to mention in regard to this that I am assuming that you are in Denver given your name. I'm one of the gifted children's coordinators for Denver Mensa although I'm not in Denver proper. We do have two other GCCs who are in Denver, though, and the three of us are really trying to get a more active group for our young Mensans and other gifted kids on the front range. I have two HG+ kids but mine are older (11 and 13) and girls, so they wouldn't be much help, but if you want to send me a PM, I'll try to remember to keep you in the loop if we get anything together for kids your ds' age. You could also join our FB "young Mensans" page (it is closed, but I'll approve you ).

Depending on the group, there are some pretty active young Mensans groups in parts of the county for the OP as well. It might be worth looking to see if your local group is actually local to you and if they have a GCC and an active program. Not all kids are HG, but by virtue of them or their parents being Mensa members, the odds that they are at least MG, which is better odds than I've found in trying to find peers through school TAG/GATE programs.

Oh my goodness - just read your post and I swear, you and I are going through the exact same thing! My son just finished up kindergarten at a Montessori school and soundsdevelopmentsch like your son - big talker, started reading at 2, very advanced vocabularly and grasps concepts that are just far beyond what his peers comprehend which makes it hard for them to "get" him at times. And while he's so bright, he's also very stubborn and can be quite opinionated about certain things (particularly what work he wants to do) and his teachers also questioned whether he'd be ok in lower el next year for the same reasons you described. The asynchronous development is challenging! We're hoping that the lower el environment will be good in that he can do 2nd and 3rd grade level work, while still functioning as a 1st grader from a social/emotional perspective. Like you, we also just arranged for testing as a means to determine how best to accommodate him from an educational standpoint. I personally hate testing and labels but have recently come to realize that sometimes they're necessary to get what we need for our kids. I'm also a bit anxious that the results won't reflect what we know to be true. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I feel your pain and that there are others going through the same thing. Keep us posted on how things turn out!

Thank you, Cricket2. We just submitted my sons scores and were just accepted to Mensa. We just have to go online and pay our dues. We are very hopeful that there will be an active group and some local gatherings. Please keep me in the loop. I will PM, as well.

sygerb77 - wow, that does sound just like our son! Can't wait to hear your results. My son goes in for another 3 hour round tomorrow. I'm not sure if that is the last one but I think so.

It sounds like they modified whatever the tests were to check for ADHD/Aspergers/Autism. I think they are just covering their bases but I was disturbed by that. I really, really doubt he has either ADHD or Aspergers - from what I have been reading, some behaviors are similar but in his case, the behaviors don't happen in all situations. Anyway, add one more thing to my list of stuff to worry about!!