Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Regrets or doubts on getting assessment/eval/dx?

How do you decide to even get an evaluation if you have a gifted kid who is quirky? Is it when the quirkiness just is weird, when other people notice, or when it is significantly interfering with life?

Or anyone get a diagnosis they disagree with? Doubt? Wish you hadn't bc it changed your perspective of your child?

Dd11 was dx with sensory processing disorder and dyspraxia when she was 7.5. I definitely disagree with the dyspraxia dx but it doesn't seem to have harmed dd in that no one else took it too seriously either. The odd thing to me was that the OT made the dyspraxia dx based upon scores that ranged from an age equivalent of 7 to 16 y/o on different measures. Since she wasn't below the expected output for her age in any area, I'm not sure where that dx came from honestly.

Cricket,

Just a guess here but in our district a dx of sensory processing disorder gets you nothing but a dx of dyspraxia entitles the student to services. Some therapists here will through in the dyspraxia to make sure the child receives services.

With PG and HG children it's easy to collect diagnosis that not only the parents disagree with, but professionals who are more used to HG and PG kids disagree with.

I regret spending my money on a 'local' psychologist, who, although very nice and caring, had no idea how to help us come to terms with the impact of being PG on my son's school life. He also diagnosed NVLD, which we were later told was 'just plain wrong' based on the wide intratest scatter. It was explained to us later that the higher the highs, the more scatter is possible.

I don't regret having the testing done, because it gave us the Davidson qualifing scores, which opened up a whole new world for my family.

I think it is good to clarify going in what the questions YOU want answered before you start, and I think that if you guestimate your child is Ruf level 3 or more, that it's best to get the testing done by someone who 'really, really' 'gets' HG and PG kids.

Love and More Love,
Grinity

We did it "backwards" with our DS. He was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder when he was 2 1/2 and not formally diagnosed as gifted until age 6 1/2. The ASD has helped us easily get him accommodations for the classroom, yet it has hindered his ability to get as much accleration and enrichment as he needs. His current school sees the disability first and the ability second. I am hoping (against hope???) that his new school for the gifted for next year will accommodate for his ability first!! I'm happy he had the years of therapy he needed due to the initial diagnosis...because now to outsiders he can sometimes "pass" as just a quirky gifted kid! Nan

through = throw I swear the older I get the more I do this...it is scary.

Thanks for responses so far!

Grinity, I get what you are saying about the Ruf level being indicative of how accurate the eval/assessment would be. Okay, so If I think he is 3-4 in most areas like reading, math, colors, academic concepts but not advanced at all in areas like verbal expression and walked a little late (16 mo) does that either not make him gifted but savant like in a way? splinter skills or something? I'm SO confused like he is in the middle all the time, swaying me back and forth. But SO advanced in areas like math, reading, spelling, writing, languages.

The latest concern is a possible facial tic?? Stim?? Experimenting with faces? Knows he's doing it but definitely weird looking and he says he can't help it. On and off for a few days (an open mouth kind of grimace or something). Ugh. Stress.

kcab -- good ideas and things to think about! love your advice about getting someone really knowledgeable in HG/PG kids. Is there a list somewhere?

Dd11 didn't walk until 15.5 months although she was speaking in sentences by then. She also didn't learn to ride a bike until 10 -- after she started 6th grade. She's probably a level 4 on Dr. Ruf's charts although I don't know how much stock I put in those levels. I would say that she is HG, though & her achievement scores definitely back that up. Her one IQ test, done at 7, had such wildly divergent scores that I don't know how much I'm counting on the accuracy of the total score, which put her at MG. I absolutely wouldn't say that your ds isn't gifted b/c he has wildly divergent strengths & weaknesses. That is very, very typical in gifted kids.

check Hoagies for a list...

or search the archives

or post to the regional forums

good luck!