Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Meeting w/ psychologist -- what should I bring?

I've been an every day reader and I can't tell you how much it has helped me.

I am meeting with the psychologist tomorrow to plan my DS8's testing. She has asked me to bring some samples of his work. What exactly do I bring? Art projects? Writing samples? Report cards? Standards assessments? I was hoping to bring his journal from school -- they would write every morning but it seems that the school didn't send it home at year end and I really can't go back and get it since we left the school not to return.

The answers I am looking for are school placement (what environment would work best) since we have totally messed that one up. We pulled Mr. B from public in Nov & put him in a very small private school (6 students including him 2nd - 9th). He has high anxiety & is really awkward in social settings. He was making wonderful progress in play based therapy but the therapist had some pregnancy complications & had to stop abruptly.

I am concerned that there may be some sort of spectrum issues. He shows some traits of aspergers but not all. Some traits of ADHD but again not all. The director of his last school, who claimed to be able to work with 2E kids, dismissed every concern as my DH & I spoiling him.

I don't really know exactly what I am looking for -- maybe just some handholding and telling me that it's not entirely hopeless --

Thanks for "listening" to my ramble.

I don't know if I'd be emotionally up to calling the school and asking them to get his journal ready because I'll be dropping by to pick it up later today, but from a social perspective, it's completely reasonable for you to want that journal. It's a part of his history and he deserves to have it availible to him. You don't need to explain or anything, just call up, tell them you want to come get it, and ask when it will be ready.

If you can't manage that I would include any work returned from the school, particularly writing pieces or anything that shows his handwriting. Also, if he has organized any petitions, I'd include those. If you have math worksheets, I'd bring those. Were there any social studies or science projects? And if there were any 'homebrew' projects bring those.

I'd bring the report cards if there are personalized comments,or unexpectedly low grades. I'd bring copies of emails if the teacher used those to alert you to any examples to AS or ADHD like behavior.

Good Luck!!!!
Grinity

I really don't see myself taking the kid there to pick it up. He still has some bad feelings about his experience there. Which is a bummer and is part of what is pushing me to get the testing done and is finally what got DH on board with the idea. I'm going to take as much as I can dig up. Unfortunately there isn't a lot of work product to take with me. I haven't touched the stuff he brought home on the last day of school (still in my trunk actually).
I've told DS that he's going to spend a couple mornings in her office and that she is going to help us decide our next step on his path. It helps that one of his friends went to the same doctor for testing & he sees a wonderful change & growth in her after that family made some changes.

Thanks for responding Grinity -- your words here & in other posts have helped me greatly. I'm sure I'll be posting results when we get them.

Good luck SDMom. We'll help you wait for the results and then we'll help you pick through them!

Smiles,
G-girl