Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional gifted with sensory issues/ opinion on early K

short story is my 4 year old was screened at our district for giftedness, but when his results came back saying he was average i realized he did not do his best and so i had him privately tested for intelligence and academics. he scored very well, well enough to qualify for early entrance k (so he could go in the fall at 4 months shy of age 5, instead of having to wait a year.) however...the school has 1 concern they mentioned before we meet:

is he ready socially and emotionally for kindergarten?

well....yes and no.

yes. he likes and prefers to play with kids older than he is. he has a great vocabulary, is tall for his age, gets along well with others, and rather confident in his skills and abilities. he can dress and undress himself for toileting purposes, blow his own nose, be away from me, listen to adults, and typically respond and behave appropriately. he wants very much to go to school. he enjoys academics and is an avid reader.

no. he has sensory integration disorder. i think that is what happened in the first screening. he can be easily overwhelmed, particularly if the environment is noisy or has a sudden loud noise or something occurs that is out of the ordinary or sudden. in this case he will just shut down. sometimes his expressive vocabulary can not keep up with his intelligence and he gets frustrated and will tantrum- flap his arms, run in place, and scream VERY loudly.

so yes and no...but the things that are no, i can't see going away in a year even. and i don't know that it is fair to hold him back academically because he has a disorder that causes him to be a little odd in social settings.

so....not that i base my child's life on the opinions of strangers....lol....but i would love some feedback for me to think about as i try to make a decision about my child's future. one thing to consider.... if all parties agree for him to start school a year early, he will be given an iep for his giftedness...in which case it would be possible to write in that he needs assistance maybe from OT for his sensory issues to help him assimilate into school. so he would definitely not be there without any support for these issues.

Hello

I am very new to this message board and don't have much wisdom to share except my DD(5) started Reception (UK-based) in September 2009. We have not had her assessed so we don't know if she is gifted or not (her brother has a FSIQ 146 so the chances are she is at least above-average) but just over a year ago (Jan 09, age 4) we moved her from a day-care provider to a school-based nursery because she was bored. We discussed moving her straight into Reception (a year early) and the school (a small, private, village school) said they would take a view on it once she had started.

Within 6 weeks DD, having missed the first term of school at the new nursery, had caught up and by-passed all the other children. The teacher described her as "very able".

When we discussed moving her up, however, the advice we were given was that, emotionally, children are better off in their peer-group. We are fortunate because the school is able to modify the curriculum to suit the individual needs of the children (there are 12 in the class, with 1 teacher and 1 teaching assistant) so DD benefits from being with her peers, but is given work appropriate to her abilities.

I know this is not your situation however I think it is worth approaching the school / various education professionals and ask their honest and sincere opinion.

Leigh

I'm not at all an expert, but I wish I could go back 2 years and request my DS(2e autism) start K early. The social and sensory issues will always be there, but alleviating some boredom would have been a good idea for us. It sounds like that might be the same for your son. Your DS will learn to deal with the sensory overload of a classroom, especially with accommodations, and a few months early into K sounds like the perfect place to do it! Nan

Sounds like you have answered your own question; ultimately it is only a trial and if it doesn't work you will have more information for better decisions later.
The main concern would be if it doesn't work, the impact on your ds' self esteem - so speaking with him about 'giving it a try' would maybe be a good approach, letting him know that there might be some questions and problems that arise for him, as for all students, due to everyone's unique situation. If he is not worried about everything being 100% perfect, then you are probably in ok shape to have him try.
Best of luck!

thanks everyone. i know there will be many things to think about.

You are in the exact same place I'm going to be in a year... I've been avoiding thinking about it, but I'm hoping this thread will help