Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Is he really gifted?

Hi everyone

I am a little confused at the moment and seeking your expert parent advice!

My son’s results from testing are below (SB5). Below this are my questions

Fluid reasoning 123 (confidence level 113-129)
Knowledge 128 (confidence level 118-134)
Quantitative Reasoning 105 (confidence level 97-113)
Visual-Spatial Processing 126 (confidence level 116-132)
Working Memory 94 (confidence level 87-103)

Nonverbal IQ 117 (confidence level 110-122)
Verbal IQ 117 (confidence level 110-122)

Gifted Composite Score 121


Questions –

1.I was told that he is gifted, but does this seem right to you? The score is a bit low from my perspective, isnt it. I was told that he was actually more likely to be highly gifted, but he got bored and had concentration difficulties during testing (he was 3 years 8 months at the time). His score may be 121, but he has probably all of the over excitabilities (especially emotional intensity issues!). He also has demonstrated pretty much all of the other signs of giftedness (e.g. needing little sleep, profound memory, and various sensory anomolies).

2.Do any of you have children with a similar profile? What strategies have you used for your son or daughter in regards to attention and concentration difficulties? I am looking at further assessments regarding possible ADHD or Central Auditory Processing Disorder. Does anyone have a child who is gifted with either of these diagnosis, and what interventions have you looked at (remember he is only 4).

Keen to hear back from everyone/anyone

Charlie2012

Oh hon...it is so hard to know at this age! I agree that the scores seen a little low to MY definition of gifted but there is no standard numerical definition and there is no perfect test for every child.

The tester probably said 'gifted' for some reason.

It sounds like he is a handful to parent though! I think you will enjoy the book 'Transforimg the Difficult child Handbook.' It offers a way for parents to help Intense kids make the most of their gifts. That lower score on WM can be difficult for a kid. Sometimes it is a seperate issue and sometimes it is part of ADHD.

Best Wishes
Grinity

Thanks for your response Grinity

I think it depends on what you want from the word "gifted".
Is he smarter than the average bear? Yes. Bright and curious? Probably; if he didn't show some signs of being potentially gifted you wouldn't have tested him. Do you have to switch things up and work a little harder than some parents to keep him on the top of his game? Most likely. But then, my guess is you knew that already.
Is he going to be a top student when he gets to school? Possibly, but it depends on a lot of things, some of which won't be made apparent by any test. Does he qualify for a school gifted program? Possibly. (Not in my county's school district; the cutoff is 130.) Is that automatically a good or bad thing? Again, depends on your school system.

My youngest is 2e; she has some ADHD-ish issues along with being autistic/Asperger's/whatever you want to label her as. While we were homeschooling, it made not a bit of difference; the family joke is that she has educationally-induced adhd. It's manifested differently even from class to class; she obviously doesn't have problems losing homework when it's done online via Moodle, though she may forget to write it down in the first place. But she's 14. When she was three, she had excitabilities and lacked attention at times and was generally a disorganized little mess...but so were most of the kids in the three year old class, including her neurotypical twin. Before you decide to look for answers to a possible adhd issue, be sure there's really a question, and that you're not (and preschool teachers are not) just expecting a higher level of functioning from him because he's bright.

i only recently learned about 2E.
just found this forum.
i'm wondering- how accurate are these tests (SB &Weschler?) (spelling) for kids with autism?

i know that my ds5 w/ HFA - when he was being officially dx @ age 34mos, they did some type of test but it showed just avg IQ, at time i didn't care 1hoot about his IQ, i was stuck on official dx of autism. but i recall that the dr said that most likely his IQ was much higher but b/c he was mostly still nonverbal, at the time, and basically just seemed to stare blankly @ dr., there just didn't seem to be anyway to really know for sure- but she sensed his brightness. and she observed it in play. etcetc

my son is not at all hyper, overexcited etc, he is very calm. he is passive to the point it can be scary (he has been hit by a bully and he stood there allowing himself to be hit! and then he never said a word about it- instead he seemed to look like he was in shock, i am the one saw it and stopped the older boy from punching my child in the chest repeatedly while that kids dad looked on!)

the local schl district, went on to also confirm this dx with their own testing. however, in this mtg he was much more animated, and verbal even- he was able to participate more fully, i think they had questions/concerns re Dx, b/c he never reached any ceilings in many areas and i demanded they stop anyways b/c he had been testing for nearly 3hrs and was just then 35mos.
because of outward signs they went ahead w/ dx aut. they said his receptive and coding was off the charts. they told me he could read. (i knew this prior). i didn't know what coding meant. i am learning more now from this forum. i was never given any #s. nothing in fact from lausd re this test. just the dx.

now years later- he shows many signs if not all signs of being gifted. he hasn't been tested. but it is obvious. he must be, and he uses this intelligience to pull himself out of his autism. if that makes sense. at times i wonder if he was free of the aut, if he would be like some amazing child prodigy.
(ok that's a moms wistful wondering- and not sure i'd want a prodigy anyhow--they come with their own set of issues!)

does a test really matter? what i think really matters is that my son now has a more solid chance to make it in a world not ideal or maybe ready for kids/adults like him...

THAT SAID oops. he is completely bored in kinder. he can't be tested till age 6.9yrs so we've got about 10mos to go. he has been verified to be gifted for what this worth. oh--- he COULD be tested now of course! but I don't have the $$$ for it. so yes, will need to wait on schl district.

i'm not sure what the point of this post? if any, is?
i just felt like posting...
maybe i am wondering about other autistic kids who are gifted and how has that impacted their lives? has that made a difference w/ their autism specifically?
(and yes i KNOW it is spectrum disorder w/ HUGE range s/sx...
thanks in advance

oops
i meant that to be a new post in this forum! sry,
someone anyone delete? thanks