I�ve only recently found my way to the 2e forum, and find that Polarbear has loads of helpful experience and thoughts to share. I can�t provide much helpful advice at this point in our journey, but I can share where we are, and my thoughts about our current path.
We are just at the beginning of suspecting dyslexia in DS6, whom we know is gifted through previous IQ testing done when he was 5. DS6 is in 1st grade, is doing well with reading by grade level standards, but his reading is far behind his other abilities, and his IQ testing identified low processing speed (55th percentile) compared to other IQ subtests (98th and 99th percentiles). We're just now researching testing options for dyslexia.
DS6 did not pass the districts' gifted test last year because he couldn't read the test on his own, and we sat out this year's test because his reading skills still aren't strong enough. He will have to take it next year in 2nd grade as part of state-mandated gifted identification testing, but whether he will be reading well enough to pass it, I don't know.
At this point in time, I don't feel he's missing anything by NOT being identified as gifted through the district testing. Even if he passed the gifted testing, we wouldn't pull him out of his current school to go to our gifted magnet program school (which serves 98th percentile and above) until/unless we have problems getting his needs met at our current school.
In terms of our school's gifted pullout program, the kids automatically get to do it if they score within top 10% through the district's gifted testing, but teachers send other kids to our pull out program, even if they don't test in the top 10%. Our pull out program is only an hour or two one day a week, is geared toward 3rd grade and up, and I don't know how much benefit it really provides.
All this to say that, as I've examined our options, it currently doesn�t matter as much whether he passes our district's gifted test. I might feel differently if we were at a school that were less accommodating. Thus far, he goes to math with the next grade up, and that's working okay for us. Although he misses FAST phonics � which is a phonics program originally created for dyslexic children � to go to 2nd grade math�
Here are some questions for you to consider, born out of our own similar situation. If you assume a worst-case scenario of your DS never passing your district�s gifted test, what would you want for him out of your current school, or even a different school that might be a better fit, even if he�s not in the gifted program? Can his needs be met through the regular program? Would your school�s gifted pullout program, if they have one, work with him even though he hasn�t passed a gifted test? Can he accelerate to another grade for some subjects? Would teachers be willing to work with his reading level if he went to the next grade for math? Dyslexia affects 20% of our population. Surely they have children in the next grade up with reading differences, and could accommodate your DS for some subjects too. Are there any schools in your area that cater to 2e children? We have several private schools in our area that do, but none public.
I supposed I�d encourage you to think about what your ideal scenario would be for your DS, and think about how you can come closest to that even if he doesn�t pass your district�s gifted test. Willing teachers and administrators can make a lot of difference.
