Originally Posted by GM5
could read at a minimum of 3rd grade level (was not prepared to test higher),
I'm assuming here, GM5, that you mean that you GD5 was tested up to 3rd grade, and then the tester stopped. If so, this just drives me crazy!

Have your read '5 levels of Giftedness' (used to be named 'Loosing our Minds; Gifted Children left behind,' or something like that)by Dr. Deb Ruf? I reccomend it to you because I don't think you are getting the 'LOG' aspect of things. Reading at age 3 is a tipoff that you probably aren't dealing with the kind of giftedness that is 'just a bit brighter than bright' which most (2/3) of giftedness is. The higher LOGs are really rare, and it isn't suprising that the school doesn't know what to make of your GD.

I'm thinking that since your DD works in the afternoons and evening, maybe a few years of homeschooling wtih DD doing the bulk, and you being in charge of 'fun' and 'excursions' in the afternoons. Is that a possibility?

I'm also wondering if the school psychologist is the same as the counselor. It seems like the school psychologist 'gets it' about your GD, and maybe she or he could be more active about demanding that your GD get a placement that works for her academically. Personally, I'm not a big fan about getting advanced work brought into the classroom, as those situations seem to make a lot of work for the school, and moving the child is sometimes simpler. Not sure if your GD would put up the 'big boys' though.

Have you considered getting the help of an Occupational Therapist to help you GD deal with her OEs? they call it 'Sensory Integration' and have a variety of ways of helping kids get their sensory more integrated. I think part of it is a maturational thing, and I'm all in favor of speeding up a lagging maturation when it's driving everyone crazy.

I get the sense that you have long years of experience with being highly sensitive and highly intense. That's bad because it means that all your old baggage comes with you. That's good for 2 reasons - 1: helps you unpack your old baggage
2: once you master yours, you are in a great position to help GD master hers.

For this I reccomend lots of venting, journaling and posting. I also reccomend a parenting approach that seems (to me) to be tailor made for our Intense/Senstive/Needy Gifties http://www.energyparenting.com/products/item15.cfm
Transforming the Difficult Child by Howard Glasser

Anyway, Welcome with big waving open arms GD5.
Grinity


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