Hello, first post here.
I'm wondering if someone can help me understand the impact and role my DS's scores in WM and PS on his learning, especially with regard to possible acceleration. This is all very new to me.
He was recently assessed with the WISC-V by a private neuropsychologist that came highly recommended and has solid experience with gifted children. He was a very early reader (reads now at a middle school level) and is about 2 years above grade level in math, with very little formal instruction (he completes his older sister's unfinished workbooks, a little Khan Academy, Beast academy whenever he feels like picking up a book. We haven't done much encouragement or spent a lot of time on it with him.) We knew he was above average, and after getting a lot of push back from school about some form of acceleration I decided to have him assessed for the extra credibility. Turns out his scores were much higher than we expected. As follows:
Verbal Comp
Similarities 18
Vocabulary 18
Visual Spatial
Block design 16
(Visual Puzzles 18)
Fluid Reasoning
Matrix Reasoning 19
Figure Weights 18
Working memory
Digit Span 14
(Picture Span 12)
Processing Speed
Coding 14
(Symbol Search 10)
Supplemental
(Arithmetic 16)
Indexed scores
VCI 146
VSI 141
FRI 151
WMI 117
PSI 111
FSIQ 147
QRI 143
NV 145
GAI 151
CPI 117
I have read that the scoring pattern of relatively lower scores on PSI and WMI are not uncommon with gifted kids. I know this can show up in kids with ADHD, but he truly does not have any signs of it. The examiner even made a point to note in her report that he displayed an excellent overall attention span and showed no signs of hyperactivity, impulsivity or distractibility. This is my experience with him too. He was always the kid seated with his hands folded in his lap and laser focus on the teacher (until midway through kinder when he was bored out of his mind - even then, he did his best to be the "good" kid.)
I have been trying to understand how these relatively lower scores impact his performance in the classroom and in everyday life. And what the reason might be behind them.
He is very articulate, outgoing, cheerful and generally a happy, silly kid. He has a phenomenal sense of humor, and is extremely creative, inventing worlds and countries and languages and a whole cast of characters. He's a lot of fun!
However, he does have perfectionist tendencies, becoming stressed and frustrated when he can't get something right. A challenge will sometimes quickly overwhelm him and end in tears, especially if he has one fixed way of trying to do something that isn't working. He isn't flexible. He'll throw down the pencil and storm off. This has really compromised my ability to advocate for him. His teachers have said everything from, he is emotionally immature (I fully disagree -- he can read a room like someone years older, but when he gets angry, he's back to being a 6-year old) to insinuating that we push him too hard and he clearly isn't ready for the challenges and higher-level work we are asking them to offer.
I'll also add that he doesn't really come across as super academic. He isn't a prodigy, he's not hyper-focused on any one subject (he loves to read and beyond that, his greatest love is playing soccer and riding his bike). However, he is clearly bored with age/grade-level curriculum. The content is just far below him and he's zoning out. I'm meeting with our head of school next week and I'd love to be able to have a better understanding of how these WM and PS scores might be impacting him, and how to navigate that in terms of advocacy.
Any insight would be much appreciated. Thanks!
