Since DS6 was in pre-K for 2 years and K for a year, and I volunteered in his classes when I could, I think I have some perspective. Though I do feel like I have to be careful not to compare him against his brother who is 3 years older. That's not a good yardstick for "normal."
Before testing, I also felt like I had to beware of comparing him to kids who are gifted or HG or PG, when I wasn't sure that he was gifted, let alone HG or PG. But now that I have some testing info, it does support my instincts that there are some things here that aren't quite right and that he's been using his smarts and his gifted-level memory to compensate, which is probably why it's been hard to name the problems I was sensing and to be sure that they're *really* problems. Twice-exceptionality is a whole different ballgame!
Honestly, I think most of the time he looks and sounds like a very normal, maybe bright-but-not-gifted 6yo. That he is certainly HG+, possibly a DYS candidate, and yet is not reading or enjoying certain learning activities that--knowing his personality and interests--I would think would be perfect for him is troubling to me. I truly believe that whatever is wrong is really getting in his way right now.
I wonder now if some of his emotional hypersensitivity is because he is always fighting with his LD. If everything is a struggle, you're bound to get worn out and feel touchy. He's a very defensive kid a lot of the time. I thought that was just his personality, but I wonder now if it's a reaction to his LD.
I guess I think I've been laidback and in "wait and see" mode for several years now, so I'm sort of coming at it from the other perspective, that the time has come to lighten up *less*, if that makes any sense. I have been hoping that these are things he'd outgrow. Now I think we have evidence that he has a problem that he won't outgrow and that we need to help him with. Maybe the help will be as simple as changing the way we think about him. It may not need any special therapy. I don't know because I don't think we know what's wrong yet. (We're getting there!) But I do think something (or things) will need to change so we can help him.
