Hi All,
I'm trying to figure out DS7 and was hoping to hear what you guys think.
DS did the WISC IV last year and was found to be PG. He's extremely articulate, has very strong math and logic abilities and is very strong willed. In the last 2 years, he's been found to have mild SPD, weak gross and fine motor skills, and vision tracking issues. A lot of these are in the midst of getting resolved (through OT or perhaps through his normal biological development). Even his handwriting, which he hates to practice, seems to have taken a leap over the last several weeks.
Here's the thing - he seems to have poor attention for instruction. He started formal school at the start of the year and hates it. I believe he is getting somewhat appropriate subject acceleration, but his problem lies in the fact that he can't seem to pay attention. Arguably, his school is a sit-down-and-listen type which is tough for restless kids who need to move, but this seems to be happening elsewhere as well. He signed up for afterschool enrichment classes which are definitely more free form, but aside from Robotics and Math, he has a hard time focusing and will zone out happily alone or start playing with other similarly distracted kids. These are hands on, interactive classes that he loves - science and even a board game "class". I've seen his eyes dart around as the teacher tries to engage him because he's more interested in the equipment around him than what's being presented. These issues are new because prior to this year, he refused to go for any classes, which could be because he couldn't cope with the focus requirement. He says that the minute things slow down, he starts to have this "menu of rushing thoughts" which he happily runs through concurrently to keep himself occupied. Or he can't help thinking about the more interesting equipment around him than what the teacher is talking about, and his mental voice always takes precedence even if someone is trying to talk to him.
Socially, he finds it very hard to make friends. Because of his small size (he looks like he could be a small sized 6yo), he's always on the lookout for younger kids to play with in the playground so that he can have some parity when they rough it out. He's physically a very gentle boy and is worried about hurting others or getting hurt, but he does love to run around. With age peers, he tends to be very sharp and cutting which of course, drives them away. He does want friends though, so he's very frustrated in this area. I'm trying hard to coach him about watching what he says, but I think his mouth is his primary weapon when he's upset, so he's prone to using it. This part is definiely work-in-progress for as long as it takes.
The ADHD prognosis has definitely crossed my mind, as has auditory processing. The latter has been ruled out by the ear specialist. For the former, he started on the NEPSY (Neurospych test) in April but couldn't complete it (the psych wanted to do ALL the tests). Will this help identify if he has ADHD? Does it even sound like he has ADHD? He has super focusing powers when he's building his Robotics, Lego, reading, or working through math. Personality wise at home, he's very cheerful with a wicked sense of humour, talks A LOT and loves to be with adults. My plan is to homeschool after this school year (which for us is the end of this calendar year) to give him more time to delve into his obsessions (a whole long list of sometimes transient subjects, of which robotics is the most permanent so far).
TIA.
