Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Hi I'm new here - testing siblings

Hi
I am new here but at the moment at a crossroads. As background my second and youngest child (4.5 yrs) has been assessed as HG on WPPSI (but psych feels likely more EG). She was a self-taught reader from two (very obsessed with books and would push me to read many books to her), first words around 8 months, speaking in sentences at 16 months, singing whole songs at 13 months etc. The dilemma is not this child but my older son who has never been tested. Whilst he verbally was similarly early (and possibly spoke in greater volumes) he never taught himself to read/ read early. He did memorise his books before or around 2 though and seemed to really enjoy books at least up to starting school. he started daycare at 20 months when carers immediately remarked that he would be having complete conversations with them and enjoyed regaling stories to the other children and making them laugh. Also highly curious during the preschool years - the questions were so profuse (and often difficult to answer) that they almost drove my husband over the edge. Obsession with death and anxiety issues over it came at just 3. Told me santa could not possibly make it around the world in one night at 3/4. His constant and creative experimenting and messiness in doing so almost drove me over the edge! His preschool teacher described him as exceptionally verbal, also highly intuitive and observant of detail. They thought he was possibly gifted or at least highly intelligent - they experienced his constant questions which took the class past the boundaries and to a different place(they have never mentioned this re my daughter). He has always been extremely social and also a great negotiator with us and highly manipulative.
Fast Forward to school. Does above average in grade one (first teacher thinks possibly gifted at outset) but identifies fine motor difficulties. Darcy starts reading but follows an average to above average timeline. Grade 2 also does well (never to the extent we expected though) - - writing is below average (fine motor again), maths excellent, reading assessed as high achievement (to my disbelief as I found he avoided it at home and seemed slow and stilted when reading aloud). This year (gr. 3) his reading just makes average (avoiding reading more), writing and english now below grade average. Maths is interesting - with work which does not involve reading he is near top of class, but with maths problems which involve a lot of reading he now falls to very average. The teacher says he is extremely social but also highly self-conscious when asked to perform in front of peers, highly imaginative, tends to concentrate on things that don't matter though, mind races ahead of writing (ideas are great but they don't translate). he also suffers from a high degree of anxiety, procrastinates and almost finds it impossible to make a decision even over the smallest things, emotionally appears highly sensitive (eg. in grade one cried for weeks on hearing his school had been burnt by an arsonist and was also very anxious about it).

Does anyone have any ideas/comments that may help? Has anyone experienced anyting similar - particularly such a discrepancy between siblings? Should I have him tested? I mentioned that he may have a reading issue/disability but they said he is performing at the average level so does not qualify for learning support. Thank you so much for listening and my apologies for such a long post. Tiz

Do you have a place where you could get your DS fully assessed for possible learning disabilities and GT? It sounds like it may definitely be worth it. I would be surprised if he weren't gifted to some degree. Does he like school? Does it seem like a fit for him?

Hi kimck

Thanks for your quick response and interest Yes, he loves school in a social sense - he seems very popular and the other children find him very funny. his teacher also says he is full of energy and seems to really like learning. IT is the reading that bothers me - very turned off reading aloud and hates doing his homework.

I could take him to the same psych that tested by daughter she is a gifted specialist. I feel a bit funny as he is performing so average.

I would explain to the psychologist exactly what you described in your post. I would think she would be happy to help you understand your son's strengths and weaknesses and how to help him with reading.

If you suspect a learning problem, I think the sooner you find out what's going on, the better. Then you will have time to help him before he gets too behind.

I think it's a crime that schools wait until children are failing to give them services, but maybe there are things you can do for him outside of school.

Tiz2008 - welcome!! Your DS sounds very similar to my DS10. He started talking about 8 months, speaking in full sentences about 15 months, etc. However, he did not teach himself to read and when he did learn to read he'd start out on one line and then wind up on another line, he'd reverse words (saw for was) and his handwriting was atrocious (sadly still is). He was reading way above grade level and making great grades so his teachers kept telling me nothing was wrong and that it was just a maturity issue. I finally had enough and told his teacher this past year something was wrong and I wanted to know what to do. She gave me an OT check list and all of his problems feel under visual perception issues. I had him evaluated and he has a visual tracking/perception problem and he has been receiving therapy for it since last October. It has made a world of difference in his life and I only wish I had found out the problem sooner. Check out www.covd.org for more information if this sounds like something that might be going on with your DS.

I have told this story many times here and I am sure people are tired of hearing about it - LOL!!!! - so if you want more information send me a pm. Look under my stuff at the top and go to messages. Hope this helps!!! I know how frustrating these things can be.

Welcome Tiz. I second what the others said. Just from your brief post, it could be gifted/LD combo. Since you're asking the question, you need to pursue it. If you have someone specialized in testing gifted kids, all the better. And i would definitely pursue visual perceptual issues as well. The sooner the better.

Oh yes, it's a crime that a child has to fall 1-2 grade belows before the school will assess. And often with these kids, who have involved parents at home, the parents keep them from falling that far behind or else their intellect compensates for some time before a problem is bad enough for the school to take notice.

Good luck and welcome again!
Dazey

Thanks so much to everyone for their useful input - I really appreciate it. I have now booked the iq test for the psychologist - WISC IV. She also wanted to know if I needed the achievement test as well (WIAT) - I was thinking yes, as this may serve to further show if there is a LD - does anyone have any comments on this?

thanks again,
Tiz

Yes, i would definitely do the achievement test. I think it will help to paint a clearer picture.

Yes, Dazed&Confused that was exactly how I was feeling. Thanks Tiz

I am resurrecting this thread in order to gratefully thank both EandCmom and Grinity for recommending I take DD6 to a behavioral optometrist.

I used the above link, EandCmom, to find one in my area and made an appointment. I just got off the phone with her and she was great. She seemed to know exactly what I was talking about when I gave the history and asked tons of questions that were so relevant to what I have been observing with DD.

What compelled me to finally make the appointment was this link:

http://www.eyecanlearn.com/

I can't remember who posted it originally, but thank you!

I thought DD for sure had a tracking issue, so I had her play the "games" which may indicate if the child is having some trouble.
No issues. In fact I went down the whole list and she quickly and easily did all the "games" as she does with most new activities. But when we got to the section for visual perception she was literally stopped in her tracks. She could not do 4 out of the 5 excercises.

Now obviously this is not a diagnostic tool, but it was enough to warrant the appointment and I am very pleased with the Doctor I found throught the COVD website.

Either way I will be so happy to either address the issue or rule out a visual processing disorder.

I will follow up in a few weeks when I have more information, but this is something I would have had no idea about checking into had it not been for the kind people willing to share and participate on this board.

((warm hugs))