Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Concerned about low processing score

I'm glad you raised this question. I don't have the answers. I do have a dc with a processing speed issue. I still don't have the answers for my child either.

Background for us:

Based on his Explore Scores which were DYS level two years ago (he was 10), his school offered to give him the WISC IV. He'd been identified as gifted back in Kindergarten based on his math ability. His reading wasn't far behind but at the time he missed the cutoff by one percentage point. The program soon after qualified him in both areas as his strengths flip flopped year after year in the early grades. Before I talk about the results I think it's also important to note why we gave him the Explore. He had begun to show signs of perfectionism to the degree that it was getting in the way of his learning. At the time he was erasing constantly, so much so that he'd erase holes in his papers; he would take SO much time to line up his math equations just so; he would pretend he already knew something so he wouldn't be caught looking less smart (This was the largest red flag for me). He was even a perfectionist with his behavior. He never got in trouble all through school. I started asking his teachers to just "move his bee" a sort of demerit so that he would see what it was like to make a mistake and still be loved, still be respected.
So in order to combat both perfectionism and underachievement (he didn't have to work at all at anything to get a good grade and a good score on grade level tests) I signed him up for a test that he was given permission to fail. He didn't, much to our surprise.

So the WISC IV determined that his VCI was above DYS cutoff, and his GAI was above DYS cutoff. After VCI, his PRI was next highest, still high, his WMI was next but only high average and his PSI index was lowest being only a bit higher than that of your dc. The tester wrote it was because of being a perfectionist. He didn't seem to show signs of being slow with the block design test. Only when he was drawing. Coding was the lowest.

Despite this lower PSI we grade advanced him. At the time he had major issues with timed math tests. He froze up under pressure. Still does a bit. My DH is much the same. Could he benefit from accommodations? Could he benefit from a 504? Perhaps so, but it would be difficult to convince the school we're not just trying to game the system AND, most importantly, our ds doesn't want to appear different in that way. He doesn't want extra time. He'd rather get a lower score. We've decided to respect his wishes. I truly believe he will be fine. He may not look like the best on paper but we know he's extremely gifted, ambitious (in things he likes) and creative, and so will be fine in the end.
That said, I still have doubts. Doubts about not looking into the situation more. (Was at some point hoping to ask aeh about this) Worries that his grade-advancement has given him holes for math in a system that isn't great to begin with. But we're waiting to see how this next year plays out now that he can relax into his new grade. He's not fast in math but he did 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math in one compacted class last year. Some of it stuck, some needs refreshing, but at least he likes math again.