DS6 has always seemed "different" in many ways from other kids his whole life - starting from being an incredibly observant baby. We are going to talk to his developmental pediatrician again soon. However, I wanted to see if anyone here any advice for us. He has not been formally diagnosed as either gifted or as having a learning disability. However, we suspect we may end up with either or both of those diagnoses. Despite reviewing the "Misdiagnosis" book, we are having a hard time teasing out what might be related to possible giftedness and what might be more of a concern.
He seems to have many incredible strengths, including: number sense, ability to categorize information, making connections between different content, a very strong memory, and he has also been able to read since he was 3 years old. He can decode pretty much any word and read with fluency - although he sometimes reads too quickly. Recently, it has come to our attention (partially by observing him at home and partially from comments his teachers have made this year) that he has some trouble comprehending fiction texts. He seems to be very advanced in both his reading and comprehension of non-fiction texts - independently reading and seemingly understanding books appropriate for late elementary or middle school students. I am not sure if he is below average for a 6 year old in his fiction comprehension or not, but his comprehension is WELL below his non-fiction comprehension. I am a bit worried that the discrepancy between them might be a red flag for something.
While he has many strengths, he does struggle a good bit with social skills, as well as with anxiety issues. He grinds his teeth at times, wanted to stop going to a weekend class because there were other kids in his class, doesn't always look at his teachers when he asks them a question (sort of speaks into his own chest), has a very hard time initiating friendships or even conversations, and things of this nature. The other kids do seem to like him, but he has had a lot of trouble this year standing up for himself in social relationships. He is also incredibly concerned with what others think of him and doesn't want to stand out in any way. He is a very sensitive child. He has had sensory issues that required OT in the past. His developmental pediatrician also told us a few years ago that if PDD-NOS was still a diagnosis, he may have been diagnosed with that.
He is a generally happy kid at home, although he does have rigid thought-patterns and have difficulty with abstract or creative play. He really thrives with structure. At school or elsewhere, he enjoys it after he can get comfortable, but his teachers described him as quiet - which he is not at home. In any event, my husband and I feel so confused about how best we can help him. We would appreciate any thoughts, tips, or suggestions from anyone who has been there or done that. He has not yet had a neuro-psych evaluation done and we are also wondering if that might be a good idea at this point.
