short story is my 4 year old was screened at our district for giftedness, but when his results came back saying he was average i realized he did not do his best and so i had him privately tested for intelligence and academics. he scored very well, well enough to qualify for early entrance k (so he could go in the fall at 4 months shy of age 5, instead of having to wait a year.) however...the school has 1 concern they mentioned before we meet:
is he ready socially and emotionally for kindergarten?
well....yes and no.
yes. he likes and prefers to play with kids older than he is. he has a great vocabulary, is tall for his age, gets along well with others, and rather confident in his skills and abilities. he can dress and undress himself for toileting purposes, blow his own nose, be away from me, listen to adults, and typically respond and behave appropriately. he wants very much to go to school. he enjoys academics and is an avid reader.
no. he has sensory integration disorder. i think that is what happened in the first screening. he can be easily overwhelmed, particularly if the environment is noisy or has a sudden loud noise or something occurs that is out of the ordinary or sudden. in this case he will just shut down. sometimes his expressive vocabulary can not keep up with his intelligence and he gets frustrated and will tantrum- flap his arms, run in place, and scream VERY loudly.
so yes and no...but the things that are no, i can't see going away in a year even. and i don't know that it is fair to hold him back academically because he has a disorder that causes him to be a little odd in social settings.
so....not that i base my child's life on the opinions of strangers....lol....but i would love some feedback for me to think about as i try to make a decision about my child's future. one thing to consider.... if all parties agree for him to start school a year early, he will be given an iep for his giftedness...in which case it would be possible to write in that he needs assistance maybe from OT for his sensory issues to help him assimilate into school. so he would definitely not be there without any support for these issues.
