Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Highly-Gifted and Below Grade-Level

Help! My nephew has a 156 IQ and he performs at and even below grade-level in his second grade NYC public school classroom. He often exhibits behavior problems and he seems depressed. He doesn't like school. The current plan is to work with an OT at the school.

Any recommendations? It breaks my heart to see him so sad. No one seems to think there is any possibility of challenging him, since he isn't a high achiever and doesn't tolerate difficulties well. All intervention seems targeted at his diagnosis of ADHD.

Did the school do a comprehensive evaluation for a possible IEP? Does he have a 504 plan? If not, that is needed. There may be undiagnosed learning disabilities. But even if there are not, he should still get interventions, modifications, and accommodations for the ADHD if it's affecting his work in school. The parents can put in a written request for an evaluation. If the school is incompetent (as ours was) it's also possible to get an outside educational eval with an educational psychologist or neuropsychologist.

I'm wondering how the ADHD diagnosis was made, and if, as blackcat mentioned, there might be undiagnosed learning challenges leading to the behaviors that look like ADHD and that are causing frustration in the classroom.

So I'll second blackcat's questions - has he had a comprehensive eval, either by the school or by an educational psychologist or neuropsychologist? If not, I'd get him in to see either a neuropsych or ed psych asap. If his parents feel the school will provide a full evaluation that is reliable, then it's ok to start there.

Best wishes,

polarbear

It can seem overwhelming teasing out what is precisely going on with kids like your nephew. More info may help us provide more targeted ideas for information and assistance but it seems there are a number of challenges with giftedness, ADHD and a mismatch between academic challenge level and intellect.
You have received excellent advice. There is a lot of overlap between behaviours problems you see in ADHD and gifted children who aren't challenged or who aren't able to perform at their intellectual level due to additional learning difficulties. Feeling frustrated can be at the core for all of those reasons. If your nephew is placed in a learning environment better matched to his learning abilities many behaviours may disappear.
How do figure out what is going on? A comprehensive assessment is really important as you have been advised. In the meantime, observing your nephew in different environments might give some clues. How is he at home? Can he cope with more intellectually challenging material if presented with it there? Does he do any enrichment activities outside of school that hold his interest or make him happy? Is he struggling with any basic skills despite his measured intelligence? It is possible to be dyslexic or have fine motor issues or other challenges that impact on learning whatever his level of giftedness. He is working with an OT. Is it for specific issues?
Well done on seeking out help for your nephew. It can take some time and energy to get to the bottom of everything but you will get there. There are lots of resources. A bit more info may help target them to your particular circumstances.

Thanks,
The school has done testing, and his parents had him evaluated by a neuropsychologist. That is where the ADHD diagnosis and IQ score were generated. The 504 meeting focused on obtaining him pull-out sessions with the school OT to help him cope with sensory processing issues. They also made a plan for the teacher to implement some new strategies to address ADHD, but the teacher herself wasn't able to attend the meeting. His parents want to put him in a new school next year, but it seems that the gifted schools in the NYC system are designed for high achieving kids, not highly gifted kids. My nephew has no chance of getting accepted. I'm not sure what kind of school might be the best match.

At home he loves to build amazing structures out of everything available, but he is not yet much of a reader. He makes friends easily, but he is very often focused on his own agenda and he can get fixated and angry when he doesn't get his way. He has trouble participating in organized group activities because of his occasional oppositional and non-compliant behavior. I believe his inability to tolerate frustration is preventing him from getting the intellectual stimulation he needs.

Part of my own frustration is that the IQ finding hasn't received enough attention from the professionals. Shouldn't they be saying "Ah ha!" How can they imagine that a 156 mind who is struggling should stay in the same situation for another minute? How is it that NYC doesn't have resources that are automatically be activated in this situation? Think of how much human potential is being lost every day in a system that should be able to bring together a critical mass of support for these kids.

I'd love some suggestions about what to look for in a school or intervention.

Thanks!

You have articulated the frustration many of us experienced at the beginning of the gifted journey...why isn't there a clear path, schooling options, obvious way forward. There often isn't. There are very few school placements that are for gifted, rather than high achieving students, and even fewer for twice exceptional students who need additional supports. The more individual a students needs then the more difficult it is to find a simple path or place for them.
I am not in the US but the provision of gifted services is variable worldwide. Some are fortunate and find a flexible school willing to try different things to make learning better, it will never be ideal. If your nephew's school is listening and trying they may be able to do more with guidance. Unfortunately it is down to those who love and care for each gifted child to do the reading and the research and work out what each child needs. That can be done in conjunction with a slew off professionals who also provide guidance, psychs, neuropsychologists, OTs, etc and your nephew is on the way.
Reading about Twice Exceptional children is a good start, also being informed about acceleration in all its forms as this encompasses many interventions for gifted kids. There are others much more informed about ADHD who may chime in but for acceleration start with A Nation Deceived which you can download here.
http://www.accelerationinstitute.org/nation_deceived/get_report.aspx

Is the 156 a FSIQ or a GAI? (May have the letters wrong but is it including processing speed and working memory?) What test was it?

Good quick article on ADHD and the overlap with giftedness
http://sengifted.org/archives/articles/adhd-and-children-who-are-gifted

And some of the postives

http://sengifted.org/archives/artic...d-gifted-students-what-do-we-really-know

A list of references
http://sengifted.org/archives/articles/suggested-online-readings-and-resources

And a comment on the difficulties of approaching the ADHD without also taking giftedness into account when designing interventions.
https://pty.vanderbilt.edu/gifted-and-adhd/

And I don't know how useful these resources are but they might provide https://www.nyu.edu/employees/life-...ons-supports/special-needs.htmlsomething

What grade/age? If he's spending a great deal of his day trying to go along with a curriculum he's already mastered, that can really cause some issues (behavioral). Put that with the ADHD and it's not surprising there's a struggle.

Neuroscience research suggests that the longer one has to maintain control in the face of a challenge (ex. trying to listen to a lesson for the fifth time when you already understand), the less able that person is to maintain control for the next event.

Are there any project-based or Montessori schools that might be an option? Flexibility is key, imo/experience.

If his parents are still learning about giftedness, I would suggest Jim Delisle's books. Having tried numerous authors and books, this is my favorite: Parenting Gifted Kids: Tips for Raising Happy and Successful Children.