In addition to my son's recent scoliosis diagnosis, we were able to get a referral for my son to see a different developmental pediatrician. At first our regular pediatrician told us that she didn't think he needed to see a developmental pediatrician again, especially after I said that we didn't think the last one he saw was very helpful and we never went back to her after she told us that I should make him watch cartoons or Animal Planet instead of letting him watch the educational shows and news that he preferred. But when my son mentioned his phobias and the sensory issues and possible OCD she changed her mind. She gave us a referral to a university child study center.

The new developmental pediatrician that my son will see is also an associate professor of pediatrics at a state university. I think he just might have a little more experience and knowledge of twice exceptional kids like my son. I have been working for days filling out the questionnaire and getting records together to send in. I am supposed to send in copies of any individual achievement tests and I only have one from several years ago. The only score he got that was less than 99 was for spelling. I wonder if I should attach the letter naming my son as the winner of the spelling bee for our county a few years later and his certificate for participating in our state's Pee Wee spelling bee. I still wonder why an educational psychologist would test a child with handwriting issues and hypotonia by having him write the words instead of doing this orally.

Hi Lori,

I haven't followed your posts, but I think I can help here, as to why he's having your son write. All four of my kids are twice exceptional. They are teens so they've been through a lot of testing.

The neuropsychs that give the tests must follow the procedures exactly for each test, or it is invalid. Most likely he is going to find out what the discrepancies are between the oral and written work.

Also, from my experience, they tend to test more for weaknesses than strengths to show what they are incapable of doing as normed with other kids their age. The purpose usually is to show there is a problem, and OT and other special help will be needed.

Again, for me this has been great if I've needed an IEP and insurance to cover something. To qualify for insurance help (which isn't so common), the DSM IV is used for criteria, and then a code can be given for help.

So, I don't know the purpose of everything with the visits, but I'm guessing they are trying to find what your son needs help with exactly.

I hear what you are saying and I'm sure you are right, it is just that in my mind a "valid" spelling test on a test like the WIAT should test how many test words the child can actually spell instead of how many he could write before his hands got too tired to continue. It seemed more like a handwriting endurance test than a spelling test. My son managed to write more than I thought he could and the words were sloppy but legible enough that he still tested above grade level so insurance would not pay for OT even though his visual motor skills tested a few years below his age. He has a motor learning disorder and low muscle tone which affects his writing speed and endurance and ability to draw and color in lines quickly. He did get a total of six visits to the OT a few years later when his visual motor integration still tested low but he is somehow able to compensate enough that he will most likely not get help with anything, but we will see. I really hope they will test him again to see if the things we have been doing at home are helping him. Since we homeschool I can only compare his writing ability to the kids we see at Cub Scouts and I know that at the beginning of the school year it looked like the other Webelos were able to write much faster and more legibly and they did not have his problems with drawing. He is very aware of this and self conscious.

Oh Lori! I'm so excited for you! I hope you get some useful information and some help, especially with the phobias.

((hugs))

I hate the process though...

Grins