Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Child rejecting the dx

There are non-stimulant options that don't have the anxiety/appetite side effects. This has been very helpful with my DS. If you are willing to consider meds, this is a possible route...

DeeDee

Oh, Cricket! So frustrating for her and for you!!

You have pretty much described my DD8 (almost 9!) perfectly. She is HG+, ADHD, anxiety and most likely, dyslexic. She is being assessed next month to rule in the dyslexia. Most of the time, she is pretty plucky about her challenges. She chalks a lot of things up to having a 'unique' brain. But when she gets down on herself, watch out! It is so hard to watch as a parent.

Does she have anyone to talk with? Any other kids her age that have similar struggles? I know my DD recently found an article in a magazine about a girl her age with ADHD who found out she was gifted. She read the article with her mouth hanging open and said that it was the first time anyone ever voiced how she felt on the inside. She has shown that article to every family member and all her friends. This has helped her understand that there are others like her out there in the big world. She still wishes she knew a few in person, though!

Maybe we need to organize an email therapy group for our kids, LOL. Although, no one would ever be able to read any of my DD's emails, God love the poor girl, her spelling, and lack of capitalization and punctuation!

Not really. Her GT classes have been filled with a lot of older high achievers who probably aren't gifted. About 20% of the school is in the GT classes and almost 50% of her middle school will be in the subject accelerated math next year if her class looks at all like prior classes. We live in an area with a lot of brighter than average kids with, how to put this, pressured parenting styles that tends toward many of these bright-avg kids being in GT. I don't know of anyone else with IQ #s like dd's, though, and there was only one kid in her class last year who was probably HG, but this child won't be @ school w/ her next year and isn't 2e.

I do know one other 2e child her age, but the child has an ASD and dd really doesn't see herself as similar and probably isn't.

You don't have an electronic copy of that article do you? I'd love to see it and see if it might be good for dd to read.

Cricket are you in the pikes peak region? There seems to be a gifted charter school in distric #11 that also supports 2E.

Academy for Advanced & Creative Learning
Investigate & Reflect, Explore & Lead
Guiding Gifted Students in the Pikes Peak Region

http://www.academyacl.org/site/about/faq1.html

The rest of the district seems to support gifted ed as well.

Have you heard of this district?

On their site I think it states that the school was established by parents and teachers to support gifted and 2E so you might be able to contact people there who could help you in your area of CO if you do not live in Colorado Springs.

My ds10 is somewhat bright (you can read my two first posts for background) and has issues that we are trying to figure out. I feel, as you do, that some of his problems could be helped by finding similar kids. I think that your quest to find similar kids seems to me a good idea. A short story about this topic: we all went out to eat this weekend dh, ds10 and ds7. We were seated by a mother with four kids. My ds and her ds10 started talking and talking. I could not hear everything but their words and topics were advanced. It was great seeing ds10 so engaged. I sensed the same with the mother so I asked her, "is your kid smart at school or really really interested in certain topics?" (to try to break the ice for further contact). And she said yes and she wanted to exchange numbers which we did. So it appears that many parents are looking for the same thing that you are.

I think it might be possible that people at the above school may know groups or contacts in your area.

Good luck

kathleen's mom Do you have the name or copy of the article it sounds helpful?

I was unable to find a link to the article online. Here is a link to the magazine, though.

https://secure.palmcoastd.com/pcd/document?ikey=10601ICE1

Discovery Girls Survival Guide Collector's Edition 2011

p. 90 - I Felt So Dumb!

thanks for the info

To answer a few questions,

We are about 3 hrs away from Colorado Springs so, unfortunately, their charter isn't an option, but thanks!

master of none, Actually, I do think that what you describe is pretty spot on for what's going on with dd. The psych who dx the ADD and anxiety disorder did write in her letter to the school that a 504 would make sense. The principal was unwilling and I didn't push it b/c I really don't think that the types of accommodations they could make, like extra time, would help her.

The GT coordinator tried some of those things last year informally before we tried any of our interventions and they really didn't make a difference. The thing w/ extra time is that dd tends to finish in plenty of time and has a hard time focusing for a long enough time to go back and review her work and find her errors.

Thanks, I just ordered a copy of it online. I'll let you know what she thinks. I may have to just give her the magazine and tell her that I thought she'd like it w/out pointing out that I want her to read the article on the girl w/ ADD. Magazines are one thing that she will sometimes read so I can hope that she'll stumble across it on her own. If not, I'll be more direct.

I agree. Omega 3's have helped my restless leg syndrome. It must do something for nerves?

Consider giving her something like this product from Swanson. Maybe in a smoothie?

I'm actually vegan and have been for 23 yrs. The kids are both strict vegetarians and have been their entire lives. Neither dd12 nor I have any ADD or other issues lest anyone attribute dd10's ADD to our diet (sorry, I've just been on other boards where our diets are not well accepted).

In any case, it limits our omega-3 supplement options to EPA derived from flax, hemp, walnuts, etc. or algae based DHA. Dd12 has tree nut allergies, so walnuts are out. I do think that DHA is a better option so we've gone with the vegan algae based DHA pills. We did try popping them and putting them in juice. Apparently it tastes like crud, though. Dd nearly gagged .