Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Has anyone found a REALLY good 2e evaluator?

Has anyone found a REALLY GOOD 2e evaluator? I'm willing to travel just about anywhere in the US for the right person.

DD14 is a year away from what is likely to be her last triennial review. She has made amazing progress in the past few years and has a really good school program in place. At the time of her last eval she was in 4th grade, had just turned 10, and was on really strong meds to control her migraines that slowed her already extremely slow processing to that of a tortoise stuck in the mud. At that time her grade level equivalents ranged from below pre-k to above graduate school level. Her percentile scores ranged from below the 1st percentile to above the 99th. The report made clear her numbers existed in 0.0% of the population. She is the definition of a complex 2e kiddo.

Fast forward 4 years and her dyslexia has been remediated, her high level math comprehension is showing through despite her inability to fully grasp lower level arithmetic, her migraines are under control so is no longer on meds. Doing so, so,well.

We have enough time to wait out just about any waitlist. But need someone who really gets 2e. We want a roadmap to the next 3 years (and perhaps beyond) not someone who will put what we have at risk.

Suggestions? We would prefer someone in the northeast but as I said will travel just about anywhere in the US.

TIA

Yes--the Eides. But but from what I gather, they aren't doing evaluations anymore.

Thanks. I had planned to take her to the Eides for her last eval but they shut down JUST before I tried to get her on their waiting list. I emailed just in case and he kindly wrote back to refer me to someone. We got a detailed 50 page report but with a few issues that make me hesitant to go back to the same person this time around. Big sigh...

I will check out Johns Hopkins and the person Portia pm'd about. But perhaps the hive mind can weigh in on something -

Do we NEED a new eval?

DD already has 11 diagnoses and has been receiving services for 8+ years. I don't think we need more identifications and we have a school program that is working well for her. We've pretty effectively remediated what could be remediated and have work arounds for what couldn't. (So thankful she lives in an age where assistive technology is available to her!) If the district insists on a new eval as part of her triennial I want to be prepared with the right evaluator. But what are the arguments for and against an eval at this point? If not needed and we can avoid the time, expense and stress it might put on her that would be a good thing - right?

Any and all input would be much appreciated.

TIA

If you already have a good understanding of your DD's learning profile (and I think you do), then the primary value of an updated eval moving forward will be as documentation facilitating access to accommodations at the post-secondary level, and for precollege testing (SATs/ACTs/AP exams). In which case, you probably need to wait until she is at least 16, so she can have an adult test administered to her (such as the WAIS--probably the 5th edition by then, slated for publication in the next two years). Although College Board and ACT will take the WISC, colleges almost always want an adult test, administered no more than three years prior.

It might be helpful to start investigating the kind of post-secondary opportunities that would interest her, and scoping out the documentation they would require in order for her to access the appropriate accommodations.

I can't recommend anyone good to do an email. I found a good 2E physiologist but we had to go elsewhere for the eval. But she did make her own recommendations based on the eval which were different.

If you have a school situation set up you probably don't need a eval until it's time to take the SAT/ACT's. It sounds like extra time would be very helpful. But you would want to give yourself at leat 6 months to a year lead time on that.