I’m extremely thankful for all of your comments, and will address some below. It’s good to know everyone else struggles with these issues such as getting a word in edgewise or turning the conversation to topics that feel useful.
ZenS that’s a good idea to ask about the curriculum as it applies to gifted children, thank you for that thought. In the most-kids-are-gifted climate I will probably modify it more to asking questions to help me understand how the curriculum works in a grade where kids are all over the place in preparation. Looking for insight in that way will give me something to focus in on so I listen actively.
Irena thank you for sharing your experience, we are also doing private evaluations, hopefully we will make some progress that way. I’m so happy to hear that the two outside evals you did made a difference. How did the evaluators determine writing grade level? Were there particular tests?
Indigo – we are working on the disability documentation. On the actual writing part, yes it’s very possible he’s at low normal… I need to find some way besides asking the school to know whether he’s within the range of grade level. Thanks also for the idea of an agenda, I will ask for that in the future and add ours. I feel like I’ve made a good effort to avoid coming across as “formal” to the school but as I’ve only been met with formality I think it may be time to forego that.
Polar Bear: Thanks for the in depth comments. With a scribe writing is well above grade level. Spelling is perhaps only a grade level up but organization and output is further up. It is the physical (or motor planning) aspect of writing that truly challenges him, a row of a’s would all be different from each other. Outside of writing he has fine and gross motor delay, mostly mild.
He did have IQ testing with the wisc iv, I just hadn’t posted it. He had a GAI of 160 and the WM index was 150. But the processing speed was in the 90s. The school has that.
MON: Your comments are all very helpful, thank you. 1. He has a DCD and hypotonia diagnosis. In process with OT type evaluations. The school seems to want to save money (they are tiny and most everything has to be hired in from outside) and has not said they would reject private opinions. The hard part is getting concrete enough recommendations that the school interprets them the way they were intended. “Reduced writing” for example can be interpreted in so many ways. 2. That is great advice on the positive comments… we had said something similar in writing already so reiterating it is a good idea. We have not yet asked for more advanced material as we wanted to wait until it was clear DS was not a behavior problem. But that is a huge issue and it's hard to know how much to shoot for. 3. Asked for more detail, foiled by vague response. 4. Great idea to try to insert DS into the curriculum. 5. I think the writing level is teacher feeling, not sure whether they have to accept an outside opinion or not on that? Overall I think likely he is at grade level, the grades ahead style and narrative and slightly advanced spelling/punctuation average out with the slow speed and below average legibility.
