We pushed the school again re acceleration for DS7 (currently in the middle of Grade 1), but the guidance officer wanted to do her own WISC testing first (he did the WPPSI last year at 5 1/2). We agreed, although with some reservations. And we expected it to be a lower result - she's never tested GT kids before, and it transpired that it was done the morning after the night before. But 30 points lower? And not because of peculiar scatters bringing it down, but lower across the board. She showed me some of the questions he got wrong, and they were things I would have been sure he would get correct. I don't want to post the exact questions, but he really does know things that he said he didn't. She re-did some today to see how he'd go with more sleep, and said he seemed bright, happy and trying hard - but results weren't any better.

I don't understand how this can happen, and would appreciate any insights anyone might have. Is it possible to not only have development slow down, but to actually lose capacity?

It seems to have happened with other things too. Eg maths - around last Christmas he could do double digit addition in his head without any trouble - now he says he can't. I've seen plenty of posts about kids having trouble in school because they skip the methodology, but this afternoon it was methodology overload. He wasn't even going to try to answer the question in his head, but was completely focussed on drawing up the columns, complete with labels, and moving a sheet across to block out one while completing the other.

I don't think the WPPSI was wrong - his scores were pretty even across the board, and the tester has done a lot of gifted kids. Family day care and kindy both commented on how very much more advanced he was. But school has been telling us for a while that he's not that outstanding, and now this test result.

He's not really aware of what this is all about - as far as he's concerned he was just doing some puzzles with "you know...that lady". So I don't think he was sabotaging himself. Slightly strangely though he did spin her a number of quite elaborate stories - she asked if our house guests were still with us. Seems he told her (among other things), that his older sister and her children are living with us for a while because their father is away, and that he has to help look after them as the children are only young, and very naughty. These non-existent children have to be watched because they climb out windows, so he needs to make sure the windows are properly locked etc etc.?????

Am I going mad? Is he mad?

ps - thanks for reading this far!

Last edited by BKD; 09/08/09 03:24 AM. Reason: ps