Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Fine line?

At what point does it go from highly gifted child with a few quirks to highly functioning development disorder with high intelligence?

Is that something that very skilled professionals can distinguish easily or is there a pretty wide area of grey?

Depends on how many of the quirks fall within the same diagnosis. It's been a pretty wide, gray area from our own experience.

I think it's really hard to call (having a barely MG girl who was very hard to diagnose). Her verbal IQ is 96th (I actually think this is a weakness for her), the speechie she saw recently first tested her on the CELF4, as usual for my DD she had highly scattered scores, one on the 99.9th, nothing terribly low, despite the spread, I get the impression most speech pathologists would stop there. But this one then pulled out a less used test that was purely pragmatic/social language. DDs highest score was the 40th percentile, ranging down to the 1st, her overall score 16th, her highest age equivalency was nearly 3 years delayed. Which is what you would expect from a child with aspergers, but not what ANYONE expects from my DD, because her initial presentation is too good.We already had a diagnosis at this point, but it had been a long road with not many professionals prepared to look below the pretty shiney surface of a polite, well behaved girl who presents nicely 1:1 with an adult.

We've been trying to figure this out since DD9 was about 2 and still don't have an answer. If you haven't already, you should check out James Webb's 'Misdiagnosis' book, but a number of the people we've spoken to don't acknowledge what it discusses (notably, absolutely everyone we've spoken to in our state). What that book says makes sense to me, but what difference does it make if nobody else will respond when you ask about it??? Honestly, assuming it's a close question and the kid can operate okay in some settings with some people, I think the answer to your question is in the mind of each beholder. But if you get an unsympathetic or impatient teacher, you will find they want to apply a label so the issues aren't 'their fault,' or at least that's been our experience. Probably more specific information would be helpful if you want more relevant advice.

mum~
is the CELF4 test used for speech only? Your DD speech therapist administered it? And do you happen to know the name of the "pragmatics" test she took??

My DS6 will getting a full Speech Assessment sometime in the near future, it is listed down in his current IEP as mandatory before his next IEP--- to assess if he needs to continue with Speech. I'm ok with an assessment, but want the correct ones to accurately assess his true abilities or lack thereof...

thank you

Dbat~
I'm getting this book asap! Thanks!!

My DS6 is at that border and was Dx shortly before 3 b/c of presenting s/sx (aut), and I was told this was a good thing b/c DS qualified for therapy- which he needed for speech, & for fine motor.
but then 2mos later the school Psych didn't agree that he had Dx
at all, she thought if anything he was gifted, but gave Dx again so he could receive the obviously needed speech...

On another thread someone said they can lose their Dx but that the "stigma" stays with them-- how others view them etc.

Currently I have had problems with DS teacher who claims to not have known he was autistic, and now realizing he has that Dx, she seems to think he couldn't possibly be gifted and needs to be in special ed. That's a long story, but the ending for that is, DS has a new teacher starting next wk.

Thanks again for book title.

Cc6 - I am in Australia, I can pull out the report and look at the test name but it may not be the "right" test in the USA... The CELF4 is a language test, not a speech test, my DD had no formal speech assesment as her actual speech has always been excellent, but the CELF is more general than the second one she did.

We seem to have cross posted. Yes there is a possibility of a negative response from some people to having a diagnosis. But kids who don't get a formal label get informal ones - rude, weird, deliberately obtuse, obnoxious, frustrating, etc... My DD "seems perfectly normal" but annoys the heck out of most people, has few friends (and pretty much all her friends are on the spectrum or have ADHD), doesn't get asked to birthday parties or playdates....

thx mum!
I meant to say "speech and language assessment" for my DS6. He has no real "speech" issues himself,
maybe a lil bit artic with the "th"? but DS has excellent receptive and expressive language, he also can sing an has near perfect pitch,

he has pragmatic issues, mainly in the areas of self advocacy, which I have been told is also an age thing,

but also in more typical social situations ie approaching a group of kids and saying hi- he will do this much, kids will usually welcome him into whatever they are doing, and he is fine as long as not much "talking" is needed- he doesn't always stay on topic or get when another kid isn't interested in what he is saying, and he also complains most boys his age are babyish in what they want to talk about, my son wants to discuss new inventions and ways to save the planet or whatever, though geez he is also way into scooby doo and spongebob also...

but DS loves to have fun, and is fun, and ppl tend to gravitate towards him so he doesn't have too much of a problem making "friends" wherever he goes, still, I'm not sure he'd be able to sustain early friendships on his own...

He's young enough that I have to be involved in the whole playdates thingy... So parents still do a lot of the initiating at 6 with boys I am finding... Also as said above, boys are more about moving than talking,
compared with girls who definitely are more socially talking even at 6!

Girls can be tough! ((I have an older dtr so I know!!)
*have you tried DD in clubs with just regular kids? Whatever her interests are etc?

oh- my DS likes the idea of being different. He actually doesn't want to be like every other kid he see's. He thinks that is boring...

I have nothing to contribute to the original topic but wanted to say how happy I was for you when I read that your DS will be getting a new teacher! Yeah!