Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Testing anxiety... for the parent!

Shari,

We're actually lucky because our tester gave us a BIG hint about our son. Something like he should have no problem getting into DYS. And she was totally amazed because he completed and got right every question on one of the subtests (visual/spatial?) and she's never seen that before (at least for someone of his age). I'm still new to the terminology here so I may have stated that incorrectly. In any case, she said it was going to be a very big challenge to come up with an education plan for our son. Yikes! And thus, "hang on for the ride!"

Shelly and Cypher, sending good thoughts your way for SPEEDY test results!

LOL, good idea. All of DS's testing is done. Now I just wait for the results. She wants to meet to go over everything when the final report is ready. Sometime this month. Ugh. He took 5 tests (WIAT, SBV, TVPS, Bender, and Torrance). It took him 4 mornings with several breaks.

I am so jealous of the immediate responses from testers. I do understand why they don't though. Not sure what I would say if she just looked at me and said something like "145" I would surely have some follow-up questions.

My only "hints" (you know the ones that I shouldn't be reading into, LOL) are "he is VERY bright," (that one was repeated often) "he answered some adult level questions" "I had to test him out of level for his age because he would easily hit all the ceilings at his age (paraphased but that was basically what she said)" And that is what I have to go one. Just that..which I don't think tells me too much yet. Good luck to M2gts and Cypher. Keep me updated. Glad you got your hint M2gts. That's pretty cool. I wanted to ask about DYS, but didn't.

Last night DS4 said to me "I am very visual" I asked where he heard that and he told me the doctor told him that he was VERY visual. He then went on to tell me all the things he saw visually, LOL.

Well, he had the WJ today. She said that he blew through it. I did get a few other hints and I don't like the sound of them.

Last time during the WISC, she mentioned that he seemed to have attentional issues and she mentioned that he took many of the tests standing up. She also used the words "asynchronous development" a lot. She agreed with me that homeschooling would allow me to educate him at his various paces.

This time, she said that I needed to learn about 2E. She also said that I should look at GATE in our city and said that it is a good program but stressed that he needed support in his weaker areas. She then hinted about scores. Gulp. She said that his worst score was average (ten) and she thinks that was in processing speed. She then said that the others were at least one standard deviation above the mean. She said that off the top of her head, she remembered a 13. That is not what we were expecting. How could it be that his teachers are so amazed by his abilities? What about all of those spiritual questions? Also, she said that I needed to read up on giftedness and education and so forth. Why would I need to do that if he's only got a FSIQ of say, 115? She mentioned that his scores were probably an under-estimation based on his hyperactivity and such. She also said that the discussion was premature because she hasn't done the norming. She also told me that there were LOG and explained the difference between high achieving/intellectual (does well in school) and giftedness (asks why). (I was playing dumb deliberately.) Thoughts? Feedback and scores are next Monday.

Cypher,

Don't convince yourself of anything. Wait and see what the results were and the issues were. Many people have gotten weird scores on here because of lack of cooperation, lack of focus, hyperactivity etc.... This is just step one, so take a deep breath and try to relax.

Hi - time to introduce myself properly and commiserate with giftedticcyhyper! Today was the day we got the written diagnosis from our doctor on DS6 - and the results of his tests. I tried not to be too nervous - in part because I did not suspect profound giftedness - but also because I knew we would have a twice exceptional diagnosis due to behavior issues since he started school last Fall.

Our overall score was only 111% - so above average in most if not all areas. However, I'd really appreicate feedback from others - especially those of you that love the testing process -because for reading and even spelling - we were into the 99% for age group. Over half the scores were above average and into the 90's and the doctor did say that he was sure this was only an approximation of ability due to the ADHD and ODD issues.

DS6 refused to do most of the tests, will not do math questions that he considers too repetetive or easy, threw pillows, slammed a door during testing. I even heard him yell "We are not done and I am not going back to my mother" and he told me he had done that after the tester threated to bring him back to me and after he was trhowing pencils on the floor because he didn't "want to do all that work". Major issue with DS6 the past several months in school has been getting him to comply with anything that doesn't meet his own intellectual agenda.

Will be so grateful to network with other twice exceptioanl parents facing same issues and the rest of you as totally isolated right now as far as peers for DS6 go, and peers for myself too! Would also LOVE to hear more about the Top 12 psychologist and gifted tester lists as so far have not used a gifted expert for these tests.

Anyway - hope it helps to know you are not alone - and that even if you get a socre below 115 - there are still parts of the testing that they will single out taht can reach the 99% range. Perhaps a testing "expert" here can tell me if that's totally naive as far as getting DS6 into various gifted programs go - as maybe they use the ovearll score - but here in VA - DS6 could at least attend William and Mary's Saturday morning program. I was told they just have to score over 95% in at least one subject area/or part of the test.

Ironmom, do you mean that your DS6's FSIQ was 111? What test did he take? Yes, it does help to know that I'm not alone. Thank you for that. My DS6 appears to have ADHD, although I do suspect that there could be an auditory issue at the root of the problem. I was completely prepared to hear 2e at some point, as well. And, in fact, I'm happy that his lowest score was average. That's good news. I would just be very surprised if his FSIQ was in the 115 range. It just doesn't jibe with what teachers have said about him and with my experience as his afterschool teacher. We'll see.

Also, when you say ODD, you do mean oppositional defiance and not OCD, obsessive compulsive? Also, are these issues new. You mentioned that the behavior issues began in the fall. Hmm.

Thank you Sheri. What you wrote helps, too. I can't believe I have to wait until Monday! I hope I still have my hair! Have you ever seen dramatic changes in test scores over the years on here? She said that he needed to be retested in two years or so.

Ah - the excellent Dottie - thanks for the reply I was hoping for - and sorry to be vague - literally hadn't printed the results yet.

IQ wise - he took the WISC-IV, and the WJ 3 (Normative Update). We did 9 tests in all - which I can share more on later if relevant for 2E parents.

The WISC came out at 111 or 77%.

Verbal was 110 75%
Similarities - 14, Vocab 12, Comp 10

Perceptual was 108 - 70%
Block Design - 14, Picture concepts 11, Matrix Reasoning 9

Working Mem was 102 - 55
Digit Span 12, Letter Num Sequences - 9

Processing was 112 = 79%
Coding 11 - Symobol Search 13

The WJ3 Cluster Test was:

Broad Reading 134 -99%
Broad Math - 119 - 89%
Letter Word ID - 149 - 99
Reading Fluency - 130 - 98%
Passage Comprehension 135 - 99%
Calculation -122 - 94%
Math Fluency - 107, 68%
Applied Problems - 113 - 80%
Spelling - 133 - 99%
Writing Samples - 121 -92%

If you're read my earlier posts from January - you'll know that reading has always been the one area that led me to believe he was gifted along with the regular traits you look for in toddlers and babies.

Doctor wrote that it may be a mild underestimate (!) as test findings were slightly inconsistent. Attentional and motivational factors maybe neagatively have influced perfomrance. He was relatively consistent in processing auditory information as visual information.

For the verbal comprehension they said he was storngest on a measure of abstract verbal reasoning where asked to determine how word pairs were similar (91%). Vocab. and abiltiy to answer social judgement questions were within Average.

Visual - was strongest (91%) when asked to reproduce block diesngs that were red, white, half red and half white. (Right now DS6 Loves LEGO and has always enjoyed buildling with train tracks espeically - so not surprised. He didn't do so well when determining how pictures were similar in concept or on pattersm - which surprised me as his teacher said he went off creating his own number pattersn in class months ago - which took her by surprise - but then doctor added that his effort was low and he tends to give up when things get difficult. (I am wondering how perfectionism or fear affects him too).

Visual Processing was high average range 112 79th percentile for copying symbols. (He absolutley hates to write).

The first mistake the tester made was an empty threat, IMHO. Some gifted kids seem to literally smell fear! (lightheartedly)

C'mon, the kid calls testers bluff and now there is nowhere to go. Ding. Test over.

I'm pretty sure you can have DS tested with a different test, like the SB right away if your gut is telling you something is amiss. You are close to this tester:

http://www.amendpsych.com/

I have no personal experience,, but have heard great, great things. It seems as if he has a specialty in learning disabilities and behavior issues, so at the very least you could obtain a second opinion.

I've shared this story here before, so maybe it'll help..

When DD6 was tested right before she turned five, she was quietly and politely escorted out of the tester's office. He smiled politely and charmingly and said: "She needs a little break." I was like, okay. What do I know? Perhaps all children get a little break in the middle. She was real happy though, and I asked how is was going. She said: "I called him a buckhead". Ummmm WHAT!?!? I asked, and you know I was wondering if by "buckhead" she really meant that she had called him a ........well......you can guess. Then after about five minutes she simply said... "I'm ready now" and walked back into the office by herself. So, I pretty much spent the next 30 minutes or so waiting for my: Little Criminal in Training diagnosis. But actually, I was thinking when the door opened I would be handed the: Bad and foulmouth parent of the year award. Right? Cause they always pick that stuff up from the PARENT!

Luckily, this guy had a lot of experience with GT kids and knew they all have different little personalities. My particular little lovely likes to play the game: I wonder what will happen if I.......

It turns out she finished the test and did well. I'm so certain if this situation had not been handled BRILLIANTLY by the tester that we may not have seen the solidly GT scores she ended up with. Who knows. But I *know* that she expected a different reaction from the tester when she called him a *buckhead*. I think his calm rational reaction calmed her down, plus he sent her a real strong message when he sent her out of the room, IYKWIM. He didn't tell her he was going to do it, gosh darn it! He just did it.

I will say she had a real rough time in K, but is now a "model student" in first. No matter what causes the behavior issues, there are things available to help kids, so seek that stuff out.

Good luck and good luck to all the others waiting for test results. I honestly believe that if LD's are a legitimate issue, it's much better to find out now, rather than later. There is a ton of new research and therapies available and young kids can make fantastic progress!

Neato

Hi Ironmom. I don't know what to make of that score, so let's wait for the *experts* to chime in......

The discrepency between IQ and achievement tests strikes me as odd, but my expertise seems to land squarely in the arena of; what to do when your toddler calls an adult a buckhead.....see above post.

I just joined the forum but the "buckhead" story is just too close to home. I may be needing that experience.

My DD8 tried to call a friend at home and the Dad said K can't talk right now she's in trouble, don't call back. Does DD hangup? No she proceeds to attempt to question the Dad on exactly what K did to get in trouble. Needless to say the other Dad was fairly rude at this point. Luckily DD could have cared less since she was of course right in her mind. We had to have a talk about that one.