When my DS, now 8, was in kindergarten his teacher recommended psychometric testing because he was an advanced reader and grasped new concepts quickly. A psychologist ran the WISC IV WIATT II and Neale Analysis of Reading Ability when he was 6. She described his scores on the WISC as "highly unusual".
Scaled Scores:
Similarities 4
Vocabulary 12
Comprehension 8
Block Design 15
Picture Concepts 13
Matrix Reasoning 16
Symbol Search 11
Coding 8
Digit Span 11
Letter-Number Sequencing 12
She commented that he had no concept of "alike or "similar". In the comprehension subtest, when asked why a policeman wore a uniform he answered "so he won't get cold".
She advised that his PRI was in the superior range and that his FSIQ was not a meaningful representation of ability.
She recommended a number of classroom strategies to address his visual learning style, but these have not been consistently applied by different teachers.
DS has always been a very intense child. He doesn't like to attempt anything he can't do perfectly well the first time. He has a very low tolerance to frustration and is easily distracted (usually by a competing visual stimulus).
He has poor social skills. He plays in a group at school, but is never asked over for play dates, and is rarely invited to birthday parties. He managed kindergarten and 1st grade OK,(B's and C's) but in 2nd grade it became obvious that he was having difficulty with written expression. A speech pathology assessment (CELF 4) demonstrated language skills at the higher end of normal. The SP could see that he was having difficulty putting his thoughts on paper and recommended writing scaffolds.
DS is very unhappy at school. He says he hates school and that it is a "waste of his time".
I apologise for this rambling and somewhat directionless post but I'm at a loss as to what to do next. I have an unhappy child and a school that is out of touch with his learning needs. Should I seek further formal diagnosis of LD, look at social skills training, more challenging/stimulating extracurricular activties, another school??
He currently attends a parochial school (we are in Australia). Gifted education here is a bit of a hit and miss affair, and tends to be very much determined at a school level. We don't have IEP's. He currently gets the occasional maths extension class with 4 other children from grades 2 and 3. It's supposed to be 1 hour a week, but this term they've had 2 classes in 6 weeks. He feels that he spends most of the day doing what he finds the most difficult and least enjoyable - writing, and next to no time doing the things he is really good at (and enjoys). Thank you in advance for your insights.
