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

Thanks! I was just thinking today on my way to meet with the psychologist about how far we have come...and how I want to continue on a good path. He started this year in a regular pre-k program where his behavior was not so good. He was actually kicked out of the program and the director stated that yes he was bright but that he would probably need a 1:1 aide forever and receive services through special ed. Since then he has been in a montessori program and behavior has been perfect. No problems at all, independent cooperative, polite, on task. I just worry about moving to first and having him not be stimulated intellectually and then acting crazy again. Glad to see I am not alone on this one. Our psychologist stated he will most likely need more skips as well as acceleration. She said just moving him to first won't be enough. We don't even have gifted programming in my district so she recommends that I contact the superintendent and set up a meeting with them. Yikes, a little overwhelming...but I guess it is needed.

Thanks Mia for the support!


It's so true. DH told me the same exact thing on the way there today when I said I was nervous about it. He is a man of few words, but wise ; )

I honestly don't think DS would like K at all. He would like that it was a half day. That is the hardest part for me because he is at my moms all day (only goes to pre-k 3 half days a week) so he really enjoys doing activities and things with her. It just makes me sad to think that I won't have a child starting in K, even though I know in my heart starting him in K wouldn't work for him. It may have to if the district doesn't work with us..but I really think if they put him in K...they would have to bring other work to him or send him out most of the day or else he would drive them insane.

Just remember to keep breathing It seems like a simple thing to remember, but I am amazed at how often I find that I have been holding my breathe while trying to figure out what to do next.

Shellymos - I definitely understand your feeling sad about your son not starting K. I had a similar feeling about the school that my son currently attends. It is a very respectable school, and DH and I knew that if we ever had kids we would want to send them there. I totally enjoy the school itself and love volunteering to help out, etc. But it's not about me, it's what's best for DS. When the realization hit (pretty quickly!) that this school was just not going to work for him, it made me sad, probably because of the expectations I had in my mind for the longest time. But again, it's not about me. And who knows if the next school will work? I think it's just going to be a constant state of adjustments for the next 10 years or so. What a ride!

Shellymos - that's wonderful news that your "gut" feelings were right. And although it's a bit overwhelming to get the actual results, I found that learning them before our DS started school helped a lot. It took about a month for me to get rid of the nervous feelings of "what are we going to do?" But then I relaxed and started meeting with our local school district. Our district doesn't have official gifted programming before 3rd grade, but they will provide something different for our DS5 for math and language (we'll figure out what that is before school starts in the fall). We are starting DS in kindy, since really it wouldn't be enough to start him in 1st - or 2nd for that matter. We feel that the best solution for the here and now is differentiation in kindergarten, where school is more about getting used to going to school all day, which our DS will have a hard time with. The school has been great - they are willing to have regular meetings to see how things are going. I hope your school is understanding and helpful.

As for the future, we know that our DS will probably need intellectual peers, and so in the back of our minds we know we'll probably have to move to a bigger city (though I do love the lack of pollution in our little town).

Good luck on your decisions and school meetings! One thing that the school liked was that we went in seeking their advice because we were worried about his education after getting our report. We didn't go in demanding anything, and we just looked like concerned (not at all pushy) parents. (I think everyone on this board would act the same, but it was interesting to hear how that helped us with the school from one of the people we met with.)

shellymos, what great news! good luck with everything!

Yeah Shellymos!!!! That psych sounds wonderful! As the others have said, just take deep cleansing breaths.

I definitely know the "missing out on K" feeling... The good news is that whatever is normal and comfy for the child in question is just that - normal and comfy. He's not going to miss out on happy kindergarten memories... he's just going to have happy non-kindergarten memories.

And regarding future skips, feel free to join me over here in denial land! It will smack us in the face soon enough... no reason you have to seek it out today!! LOL (Although I'm looking at one sneaking up on me right now.... lalalalalalala!)

Good points about the K. I woke up this morning realizing that I really don't think K would be a happy experience for him. I work with K kids all day long, I know what they do in K...and I really don't think he would enjoy that much of it. And I am not about to think about future grade skips either. I will definitely join you in denial land, LOL. Our tester talked about the skips and acceleration he will probably need later and I just kind of zoned out and went to my happy place. : )

I do have a migraine today, LOL. But I have been getting them for while so I guess that's not new.

And no, this isn't surprising really...but still shocking. It just makes me realize how confusing this may be for me. One of the hardest parts for me was when she had done some testing abilty thing (ABIQ?) not sure. She said that overall he could be compared to a 17yo. Now I realize academically he can't do all that stuff, that's not my point. Just hearing that and thinking about my little 4yo....talk about growing up too fast. It just made me realize so much more how life must be confusing for him. A little man in a little boys body. I got teary last night after tucking him in.

deep breaths. : )