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    Joined: Aug 2021
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    LaEden Offline OP
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    Hello all,

    I have a 7.5 yo son. He had some adjustment issues in 4yo preK and we had him tested. The psychologist said he was provisional ADHD because he wasn�t old enough to confirm and also referred us to OT for evaluation of sensory processing disorder, which they did confirm he has. (Later on he still could be ADHD but it isn�t as prevalent now). She also did the WPPSI. She noted after the testing that he was doing puzzles that much older kids weren�t able to do but also that his working memory and processing speed were just �average� compared to his other scores, which were at high average or high/superior (I don�t remember the wording). His highest score was in fluid reasoning. He scored 130. The other sections were in the 115-120 range. His FSIQ was 121. Despite noting that we have a �very smart boy� she said he wouldn�t qualify for the gifted program at xyz school.
    Moving on into school, his first kindergarten NWEA scores had him the 98th percentiles for math and 92nd for reading. His subsequent tests have him increasing with his last 2-3 scores in the 98th and 99th percentiles. He was 99th in both on his most recent one. On his 1st grade winter math he scored 210 and his score in algebraic reasoning was 220.
    He has nearly all of the personality characteristics of a gifted child. He would quality for the public school�s gifted program but his current school doesn�t test for giftedness and doesn�t have a program. I�m not looking to label him gifted for my own esteem but he has some social and personality issues. �Overexcitabilities� you could say. I also feel like he could do more challenging work. Having him identified �officially� as gifted would help all of his traits make sense.
    My question is whether his scores as is are sufficient or should I take him to someone who specializes in gifted children for testing? We only have one place in our state. frown

    Thank you!

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    aeh Offline
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    Welcome!

    Whether you find the scores "sufficient" depends a lot on the purpose of testing. My usual suggestion is to test only if there is a specific reason:
    1. The scores are needed to access a service which you believe is essential for your child (e.g., a school, program, or other resource).
    2. There is a problem which needs disentangling, and having a clearer idea of the learner's cognitive profile would help to identify that problem and the appropriate solution strategies.

    In your case, there does not appear to be a resource that fits #1, but you may have a question that fits #2. You also have an hypothesis about the answer to that question, but limited data either to support or to contradict the hypothesis. If the social and personality overexcitabilities you contemplate are not significantly impairing his general development, health and happiness, then testing might not be helpful, as it likely would not add information to your understanding of him. If you have reason to believe they are impairing his access to major life functions, then it might make more sense to pursue an evaluation with a broader scope, as giftedness is not the only possible explanation for these categories of concern. It's better to go into evaluations with an open mind about the range of possible outcomes (in various domains of development, not only intellectual).


    ...pronounced like the long vowel and first letter of the alphabet...
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    LaEden Offline OP
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    Thank you for the response. I think I have a reason for both 1&2. There may not be a program or resource available for 1, but it�s a small and supportive school that if I had strong enough evidence then more opportunities may be added. There are also G&T programs he would qualify for based on NWEA at the public school. I have also considered homeschooling until he�s mature enough to sit in higher level classes. Right now he�s back to doing less then 20 addition and subtraction when we were doing multiple digit with regrouping and multiplication last year. I�m already concerned about this upcoming NWEA because he�s not learned anything new since the last time he took it. I am starting to supplement at home. Similarly for #2, he was already screened for ASD, could possibly have ADHD that affects impulse control and social skills, but if more clearly �gifted� I believe it would give us some direction on where to focus social skill building�through some online classes, interest based social groups, etc. He has also experienced a couple upsetting encounters in school already with situations that have triggered his strong sense of fairness and justice (he being punished because the rest of the class was misbehaving when he wasn�t, given permission by one teacher to do something but scolded by another for doing it). I think it�s best to do the detailed analysis with the state specialists even if it will take a while to set up. Thanks again.


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