Part of the problem is that the school is not big on testing. The school has his full report with DYS qualifying scores both on the WISC-IV and on the WIAT-III. They've had that information for a couple of years but I feel a hesitation to take them to heart (perhaps because they were done by a private provider). He was also assessed with mandated district wide testing on the CogAT and Terra Nova with scoring mostly in the 99%. That seems to actually have hurt us as many kids score in the 94% and above (criteria for receiving high ability services in our school district) at DS school so the principal seems to think there about 20%-25% of the kids have a similar cognitive profile to my child not understanding that those tests have pretty low ceilings.
Oh dear. Yep. (Sigh). Ah yes..."many others with a similar cognitive profile?" Hmmmmm...not statistically likely. We've been there. First, bring the WISC and WIAT scores along. Not flukes, indeed. Yes, depending on the versions your DS took the CogAT ceilings can be quite low...too low in all likelihood for a student with a DYS-level IQ. Argh...how do schools not understand test ceilings? So, the CogAT might not help, but look at the version and the ceilings of the test. The CogAT DYS DD10, took, for example, provided a low-estimate of her WISC IQ, very likely because of the lower ceilings. I'm going to again take a wild guess that this might be true in your DS's case and you may need to gently point it out if it comes up. You may also want to be armed with data on the statistical rarity of your DS's WISC score.
So, again, take it for what it's worth (maybe not much
), but in our experience? Don't give up! Gently, persistently, keep at your request and why it makes sense. After years of advocacy, someone in our schools finally heard me this year...and DYS DS may get a chance to learn next year. They are trying something with him that they NEVER allow. DD also seems to have a better chance to learn next year. So things are looking up - but we had to keep at it and hear NO many, many times.
I hope that your school comes to understand your DS's unique learning needs. Is your son DYS? If not, do apply - it is a wonderful source of BTDT advice from other parents and a community. I have my fingers crossed for you and your DS!
