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    Joined: Nov 2009
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    our district does a gifted screen for preschoolers in a group setting in an active library to find kids who are gifted who may qualify for early admittance to k. my sensory kid did not do as well as we thought he should, so we had him tested using a different test, privately, and he was in fact gifted. (the district knew he had sensory issues prior to the test, and did not discuss the testing situation with me before hand....we did not know until we showed up it would be like this - chaotic group.) so...one of the reasons our district does not want to label him as gifted is because they feel he should be able to perform equally as high under chaotic situations as that is a prerequisite for kindergarten????? huh?

    my argument is that when we are testing children for a disability, the child should be in a distraction free environment to truly get a picture of their abilities. testing to see how they would do in an actual classroom environment should be separate. but can you think of anything else i can argue?

    he is now reading at a 2nd-3rd grade level and writing about a 1st grade level at 4 1/2....with no end in sight. he wants to go to school. he is not hothoused- just a motivated self-learner. i can't imagine him out of school for ANOTHER year so that NEXT year he can go full day to learn his letters.

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    Momma, I think you should look at your state's standards for giftedness, and what they recognize. In our state, it's spelled out by the State Dept. of Education that they recognize particular tests, and the state's official threshold for gifted is specified. Here it would be illegal for them to not identify a child as gifted if the child passes the threshold. They also cannot stop a child from receiving gifted services based on a disability alone: it's illegal here under state law. (Is the disability documented?)

    HOWEVER: I can see where they feel it is logical to have a social skills standard for early kindergarten placement: the child has to be ready to do kindergarten, not just ready to do the academic part of kindergarten. You also surely don't want him placed in a classroom where the teacher isn't prepared to handle his behavior and yells at him all the time.

    Have you visited the classrooms, and do you know that your DS would do well there? If you have evidence that your child does well in a real classroom setting (not the testing chaos), bring it to their attention: a recommendation from a preschool teacher or someone analogous would go a long way here.

    I think you should find out more about what the school's and the state's written standards are, and see what you can use to build your case.

    DeeDee

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    Originally Posted by momma2many
    my argument is that when we are testing children for a disability, the child should be in a distraction free environment to truly get a picture of their abilities. testing to see how they would do in an actual classroom environment should be separate. but can you think of anything else i can argue?

    First of all - WOW ! I've never ever heard of a district that screens preschooler for early kindergarden - even if they use flawed methods - they are still a WOW in my book. That is amazing.

    2nd of all - yes, you do need some kind of accomidation. I'm not sure that early enterance into kindy is really the best place for him next year, even if he is clambering for school. Would you consider homeschooling him or getting a tutor, or even an enrichment center that would let him go at his own pace?

    I love the idea of observing the K classrooms and seeing if they would acctually be a good fit for your son.

    I would certianly ask for a meeting with the school, bring the private report and a portfolio of his current work in his own handwriting and reading books. Bring the tester if you can. Ask them how they plan to move his learning forward. Listen to what they say. Think of this as the first steps in building a relationship that will last a long, long time. If their answers sound totally crazy, ask questions that will allow them to see how inadaquate their answers are. A really good book is 'Getting to Yes.'

    The sad truth is that you school may be under no oblications whatsoever to met your child's educational needs. Your job is to illustrate what the needs are in as simple and persuasive way possible, and to help the school get as creative as possible about how the school can use their resources to help you son grow and develop properly.

    Advocacy is a lot more like selling the sizzle than making an airtight case. Sadly! Most people don't want logic, they want to be inspired.

    Best Wishes,
    Grinity



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    great points. yes...he does qualify based on the standards set forth by the department of education in our state. my husband already made that argument and we are awaiting a response. we met with the principal, showed her our testing and his work samples and the principal actually wanted to put him in first grade, but said k with accommodations would have to do for social reasons. (and i agree.)


    Originally Posted by Grinity
    Advocacy is a lot more like selling the sizzle than making an airtight case. Sadly! Most people don't want logic, they want to be inspired.

    Best Wishes,
    Grinity

    i've never heard it put that way. thank you for saying that.....it gives me more to think about. smile

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    Originally Posted by momma2many
    we met with the principal, showed her our testing and his work samples and the principal actually wanted to put him in first grade, but said k with accommodations would have to do for social reasons. (and i agree.)

    The weirdest thing about our kids, is that their needs keep changing. What works this year needs to be celebrated. It may not work next year. Flexibility is key. It's great the the Principal is able to see your son's academic needs and would have liked to put him into 1st grade. Perhaps after a month or two, he will be able to go up to 1st for reading and math. Some kids got to half day Kindy in the morning and join the first graders after lunch.

    If it were me, I would be tempted to hothouse the social skills over the next few months, so that when your son asks to 'jump' again, he'll be ready socially. Some kids find an academic situation that fits them and are ok socially. Some kids sort of get pulled between their academic needs and their social needs and end up in a middle ground that works or not. Some sleepwalk through school at their social need level and get their intellectual needs met after school. There are probably as many different paths are their are gifted children.

    It sure is messy though!
    Grinity


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    When you are at a young age, IQ screenings may be innacurate, but your child may benifit from testing if the teachers don't understand him further. I have sensory issues, too, as I often mis-hear verbal instruction, but I can hear loud noises much better than most, and I can hear whispers better than I hear incessant yelling. Oh, and here is another pointer: just because he doesn't handle the chaotic situations of everyday society doesn't mean he's not gifted! I'm, in fact, 2e, and I have to stay home when my mother does VBS because I couldn't last two seconds in the Chamber of Incessant Extroversion! The reason I was tested as autistic or ADHD was because I had a lot of interests and I was disorganized, and because a lot of the Asperger pre-requisites were the characteristics of an introvert (I just got "The Art of Speedreading People" from the library two weeks ago, and I tested as an INFP). You could argue that some gifted children can have disabilities, but I'm not sure how that would blow over....


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