Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Testing anxiety... for the parent!

Glad to make you LOL Shari ; ) I have noticed that your DS does sound like mine in your posts as well. It is really quite funny to hear about another child like mine because sometimes I swear they don't exist. Maybe if DS gets into DYS they can meet and have a fascinating conversation about the meaning of life (or they could just play wheel of fortune).

And at least now I have a date in which we will go over his evaluation....3/24. Just a week and half to wait. I am going to have to start a good book and delve into it to ease the anxiety and stop thinking about it.

Wow that is wonderful m2gts! Congratulations! That is what I am looking forward to the most, getting ideas and suggestions. With the psychologist we chose it is not just about getting an evaluation, it is about feedback and school support, etc. She has even said that her fee includes going to the school to attend a meeting and advocate for him as needed. That was a big plus as I anticipate needing that. March 24th is the official date, I should no more then. It seems like a lifetime away but hopefully it will fly by.

3/24 will be here before you know it Shellymos! Yes, stop thinking about it! Hope you check in after to let us all know how well it went!

Sounds like you and your DH found a great tester. The fact that she's willing to advocate for you is awesome! Keep us posted.

Chris- what "first program" did you get him into? I don't entirely recall if I read your earlier posts 3 months ago now and your son had skipped at least one grade, but was then bullied? I think it was your situation - as I recall you were in VA like me!?

Tell me more! And sorry for your woes. Again - though - there is a lot at stake - and constant testing is hard - but one can always re-take a test. (Starting to wonder if there are free funds for all this testing though!)

Also - do you think maybe he isn't happier in his GT setting and has cottoned onto the fact that lower test scores mean he doesn't have to stay there?

I feel your pain. DS6 came home again having yelled at teacher and says she's mean and he thinks she doesn't like him. Breaks your heart everytime. They are too young for the heart ache they go through in the wrong setting!

Neato -

Yes, I've checked out DYS's site - thanks for asking. I think my son would qualify on the achievement side of the house, I don't have the exact numbers from the achievement test but I have the grade levels, and they are off the charts. Scary!

Shellymos - I'm so glad you found a psychologist that will provide the feedback and school support. I know it's only the start for us, but all the support we've gotten has really given us a good framework for beginning our grade-skip request. Also, my son sounds a lot like yours. Don't be surprised if you see a bunch of high numbers! Let us know how things turn out on the 24th!

I hope this is still nominally on the original topic for the thread. We're thinking about testing DS4 this summer, just after he turns 5. I have most of the anxieties that people have expressed here, including the anxiety that he will score higher than I'd have thought, that he will score lower than I'd have thought, that he will terminally offend the examiner and not score at all, and so on. My main question, though, is whether there is a good reason to wait an extra year to test. I have the vague memory that some gurus have mentioned (Dottie?) that tests for those under 6 are very hard to interpret. (Or was this about the WPPSI in particular?) On the other hand, various people seem pretty content with SB-5 results for those in the 5 y.o. range (Shellymos? Pending results, at least?) Our plan would be to give the SB-5 when DS is about 5.0. One reason for us not to wait is that DW is expecting no. 2 in the Fall, and we don't know what kind of chaos that will throw the house into. Is there any consensus on whether there's a good counterbalancing argument for waiting an extra year? Our main goal is to get some sense for LOG so that we can do educational planning with the school.

BBDad

BaseballDad - Yes we haven't gotten results back yet, but I feel that it went well. And while I had the normal concerns about whether he would actually even sit there for the test...whether it would be too much on him emotionally, etc...none of those things were issues at all. He did not seemed the littlest bit stressed out by it. And while he needed breaks and was a little more active the last two mornings of testing, she told me that he was able to do well and "complete all the tasks" DS is now 4 yrs. and 8 months. We tested him this early because of school starting in the fall and figuring out what to do with him. I know I haven't seen the results yet, but I would like to see if they can do some subject acceleration with him. I just can't see him going to a regular K at all. And I too at first worried that he would come out too high...and as time goes on now I worry that he will be too low. LOL, not sure why I have thought that one at all but I guess you never know. I will let you know whether or not his test revealed results that will be helpful or not when I get them back.

IronMom - yes, we are in VA, too. Prince William County, to be precise. Haven't read about all the counties rules/regs but for gifted prince william seems pretty good. Somewhat like fairfax, but I think both less luxuriously well-appointed and spoken-of, at the same time more flexible with some of the numbers. The numbers we have as of today I think would just be out of the question, however, so more testing.

No, he didn't skip, although he is a bit young (July birthday). He had less than ideal teacher for 1st and by second was really dreading school, in particular math, which I do *not* think is a relative weakness. Plus he was having issues making friends. We are pursuing testing also for possible ld related to some attention issues, and concern about the social aspects.
The program he is in is the k-3rd program called 'start', a couple hours a week at the 3rd grade level. It is a real relief to ds to have this time during the week, plus he has actually really clicked with at least one of the kids in this program. His school also has clustered this same start group in his reg. class so that is great during the week, too. They all have the same reading group, etc.
He is doing things he might not otherwise, such as reading Harry Potter because his friend has, etc. Enjoys math sooooo much more, his teacher has been placed there to do some differentiation so she has some clue as to how to deal with these kids, huge benefit, imho. He has not been id'd for math. We still do a lot of after schooling, museums, science tv, etc.
So in short, no I don't think he wants to get out of the program, no way. He is really excited about doing the testing, knows that continuing in this program might hinge on it.
He is in until the end of 3rd, and then the 4th grade + program called 'Signet' is a possibility (ironic name in my opinion, cignets=ugly ducklings..)

Don't want to go on and on too long, as I have posted most of this elsewhere, but those are the basics..if you are near pwc/fairfax and interested in the tester, assuming he turns out to be as good as I think he is...feel free to im.

Ps, only 'free' funds I am aware of have to do with getting this testing done due to legit. concerns for ld, which we do have. And of course all this depends on insurance, we are hoping for some reimbursement.

We are going to test DS6 again this summer. The first time DS tested was with the school diagnostician on the DAS II. She admitted herself that she hadn't ever seen anyone remotely like him and had to take his testing to the Director of Special Ed for norming. She didn't know how to do it.

In an effort to save money, he was only given portions of the test, enough to qualify him for services. Plus there were issues with timed sections, the diagnostician said that his creativity kept getting in the way.

I do for the most part believe that once you have a complete IQ test given by someone that is good at what they do, it shouldn't have to be repeated. Achievement testing and above level testing is much more telling. After all isn't the point to know that your child is moving forward?

I'm not terribly anxious about this round as I already know that he's "wicked smart". DYS even with incomplete testing. But I'm looking forward to having the perspective of someone familiar with kids like these.