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Posted By: GGG Testing Again/Thinking about Davidson In-Person - 12/29/19 05:44 AM
Hello!
It's been years since I have participated in these forums. To be honest, it used to send me into a spiral of anxiety. Life is so much easier now. Our DS is almost 9 now and everything is easier. He is kind and thoughtful, aware of his giftedness and in a GATE program and I could go on and on, but you get the point.

We have the opportunity to move to the Reno area for family and a job and I thought why not have him tested again since we may live in the area. I really don't want to know his I.Q. Last time I received the results when he was 3, I literally had a panic attack. I couldn't imagine what kind of normal life I could provide for him and our family. Well, it hasn't been normal, but we have grown and adjusted and life is good.

Does anyone else feel this way about seeing the results? I have even thought of getting the results, handing them to my husband and just saying, if it's DYS or Davidson scores, let me know, otherwise, shred the paper. I don't need the scores for anything other than deciding whether or not to do a tour at Davidson and possibly apply.
Any advice on how to emotionally process the results for your own sanity?
Any experience deciding to or not apply for the in-person Davidson Academy?

Thank you to all of you who had helped me in the early years.
Originally Posted by GGG
Any advice on how to emotionally process the results for your own sanity?
To emotionally process the significance of IQ test results, it may help to maintain a sense of perspective and priorities. Please keep in mind that an IQ score is just a snapshot, a measure of one aspect of personal attributes, at a point in time. An IQ score is not a full description of the whole person, and IQ test results are neither a statement of worth nor a predictor of success. Regardless of IQ scores, there are many more variables to consider, and skills to cultivate.
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That said, having an IQ score (and especially having an understanding of your child's various sub-test scores) may help you better understand your child and his intellectual profile of relative strengths and weaknesses. My advice would be to retain scores (do not shred them) as IQ scores may also be useful for other future opportunities and admissions to gifted programs beyond your immediate potential interest in the Davidson Academy in Reno, Nevada.
smile
This is very, very wise advice. Spaghetti clearly outlines what was a goal of our parenting- a sensitive, flexible path that adjusts and changes continually with the growth and needs of their kid. Whether IQ scores inform that or not is up to you and your circumstances, but scores shouldn’t be cause for a major shift or detour.

Your kid is still the same kid, no matter what the scores reveal, and you should keep on keeping on, as it sounds like you’re in a good place, doing a good job.
Thank you for all of your time replying.
He qualifies with I.Q. and Academic Achievement.
My next step is touring the school and deciding if it could be a good fit in the next few years.
I didn't even want to rip it up or ignore it, it was all expected. I think I have come to terms with the score and it does help knowing it's just a snapshot. It was 10 points higher than when he was 3. When he was 3, the psychologist reported it was an underestimate as he gave up at various points on the subtests and was of course, only 3 years old.
I'm so glad I pushed through my own emotions to complete this part of the journey.
Something you might consider , have him tested with multiple tests. They'll all probably result in comparable scores, but they'll come in within a range. This way, you won't have a single score. At The Gifted Center in Denver, they gave my daughter The DAS II, WISC, and the Binet LM, as well as the Woodcock. All came in high but no single one came in the same. This way, we have a range instead of a single number. You're told that a single score has a +/- , but I know what you mean when you see a single number.
If you are seriously considering DA for your DS 9 in the near future, you may want to look at Davidson Explore. They said at a recent open house that some younger students take Explore courses as a step before DA to get a taste of the rigor and depth of academic work at DA and to improve their chances of admission.
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