DD just recently had loads of testing at age 7. It was a few months ago, and I am still trying to wrap my mind around it. We have not had to involve her school yet, and I am not sure how that will go--if we will need more or new testing. So far it seems inconclusive. The evaluators were split on thinking there was an actual learning disability. The more nuanced testing pointed to "yes". The IQ and Achievement pointed to just average processing speed, no DWE. Apparently, her written expression was not low enough.
I know she has something neurological going on, and it is manifesting itself mostly in her handwriting. The question is how much should we allow her intelligence to compensate for what appears to be, in her case, a very small area of dysfunction. I don't think any two gifted dysgraphic kids are the same. Here is what is going on with her. I find her test results to be fascinating.
On the MVPT-3 she scored in the 93rd percentile, which was great. This also aligned closely with her VSI on the WISC-V, a relative weakness of hers. What was telling was that the 5 questions she missed were all one type of visual perception task. The evaluator was blown away by how pin-point her visual perceptual issues are. You cannot fake these results.
We see this in her handwriting. The motor integration element does increase her struggles. Her fine motor skills may be below average. I don't think she has had testing on that skill alone. Her motor subtest on the VMI was in the 3rd percentile, and the evaluator mentioned a motor component, but how can you separate visual perception from these tasks? I think she is not keen on working on fine motor skills, and has never been. (She is actually pretty coordinated. She rode a bike without training wheels when she was 4. DCD has never come up.)
Her issues clearly stem from this one visual perception disability. She simply does not see that her written output is different from what she perceives her output to be. She also scored extremely low on the (J-o-r-d-a-n) reversal task as well. She does not perceive a backwards R being any different from a forwards R. She is so fortunate to not have to struggle with any type of dyslexia, and instead her brain seemed to have developed a work-around (at age 3) that makes her an extremely, extremely competent reader. Her reading fluency with comprehension was over 300wpm.
So yeah, I struggle with how to go forward. She has been keeping up at school. She can write. And I have seen improvement in the last 3 years. A little over a year ago she wrote half of her numbers backwards. Now, none! No, It does not look like the writing of someone with her IQ. And, yes, there do appear to be things she will never get--spacing, OMG. Another clue to just how helpless she is. A neurotypical child does not struggle with these things.
I guess I have not accepted the argument that she cannot work really hard and get somewhat decent at writing. The brain is plastic, right? I do not want to give up on writing. I want this kid to be able to take some notes, write a quick letter, fill out a form, make a grocery list. At the moment she is working incredibly hard to do what she does, and it does not look like gifted work. I'm ok with that.
I guess if I had to choose between working on remediation and producing an average looking student with average writing skills or working on acceleration with AT and producing an advanced looking student with no writing skills, I'd choose the former. For now. I know her comprehension and reasoning skills are through the roof--this is what is helping her now to compensate. It will also still be there in the future. She will be able to take calculus and advanced comparative literature. I have no doubt.
That being said, we have started her keyboarding, and she does really well. My idea is a little bit everyday. We have been using Dance Mat, but I imagine she will need a more comprehensive program in the near future. She responds really well to programs where she can visualize her growth. I'm on the lookout for iPad programs for storytelling. She says she wants to be a writer but cannot write all her ideas. I do want her to be able to do that. She is also in a school that is very nurturing. And her parents are very nurturing. We are currently looking for a private OT. She did about 6 months of vision therapy--we were not impressed.
She is also fully aware of what is going on in her brain. She understands that writing is just harder for her. That means she has to work harder, or come up with a workaround. She is really good at work-arounds. Her first grade workbooks were full of her little genius workarounds.
I never stop thinking and worrying about it. It's a crummy situation to be in. I just remind myself it could be worse, and focus on raising a happy kid.
