I'm new - Can "gifted" be included in an IEP? - 09/02/09 11:27 PM
Hello! I'm new to the forum.
I have a 6yo DD diagnosed with Aspergers and also highly gifted. Her IQ is about 150. She is in 2nd grade, reads at 5th grade level (as of the end of 1st grade). She is advanced in her academics, except for math. She has an IEP for Aspergers, but nothing in it regarding giftedness. I've heard/read about parents being able to get giftedness into an IEP, but I'm not sure how that works.
I'm asking because our school has a very pathetic gifted program, and her teacher doesn't seem to "get it" that DD needs more challenging work. For example:
1. This semester the GT program consists of a pull-out, once-a-week for 45 minutes of a "reader's theater". That is IT.
2. Her teacher knows she reads on 5th grade level (or maybe higher) but she does not require DD to choose books from the library at that level. Her thought is that DD should choose whatever she wants. I'm all for freedom and not pushing children, but honestly, this is ridiculous in light of her reading abilities. We cannot seem to get the teacher to change her mind on this.
3. The spelling words are pathetic. Literally. This week one of the spelling words was CAT. CAT!!! In 2nd grade. And for a very bright student, it's nuts. But we can't get the teacher to give her a separate list of spelling words.
So, now we are thinking - how do we FORCE the issue? It seems that the only way is to get it into the IEP somehow. But our school views an IEP as something related to special needs or learning disabilities, not giftedness.
Our child psychologist, who conducted the WISC on DD, also thinks that DD might have a discrepancy related to math. This is because her scores on the WISC are as follows:
Verbal Comprehension 47
Perceptual Reasoning 46
Working Memory 28
Processing Speed 31
Full Scale 152
Our Doctor said that if there is a big discrepancy in the scores, then there could be a learning disability. And that even though DD might be at grade level or above on a certain subject, you still have to look at the total IQ profile and see if something is out of whack on it. Basically, if she is low in one area, you don't dismiss that just because it is above grade level - you try and bring that area up to the level of her other subjects. I hope I'm making sense on that.
So, our Doctor said this, "Additional discrepancies in WISC-IV subtests occurred on those subtests measuring social reasoning and abstract spatial reasoning. While these scores are not below average, they are discrepant from other subtest scores. DD may need some additional assistance in those areas where reasoning as well as rote learning are required, particularly where social reasoning in required. Given these findings, DD would technically meet criteria for a (315.1) Math Disability, with a specific weakness in math reasoning."
We showed this to the IEP team at school, and they just blew it off as ridiculous. I don't know what to do about this. I'm not familiar enough with this to know what is right, wrong, correct or not correct.
If anyone can help me at all, I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks!
I have a 6yo DD diagnosed with Aspergers and also highly gifted. Her IQ is about 150. She is in 2nd grade, reads at 5th grade level (as of the end of 1st grade). She is advanced in her academics, except for math. She has an IEP for Aspergers, but nothing in it regarding giftedness. I've heard/read about parents being able to get giftedness into an IEP, but I'm not sure how that works.
I'm asking because our school has a very pathetic gifted program, and her teacher doesn't seem to "get it" that DD needs more challenging work. For example:
1. This semester the GT program consists of a pull-out, once-a-week for 45 minutes of a "reader's theater". That is IT.
2. Her teacher knows she reads on 5th grade level (or maybe higher) but she does not require DD to choose books from the library at that level. Her thought is that DD should choose whatever she wants. I'm all for freedom and not pushing children, but honestly, this is ridiculous in light of her reading abilities. We cannot seem to get the teacher to change her mind on this.
3. The spelling words are pathetic. Literally. This week one of the spelling words was CAT. CAT!!! In 2nd grade. And for a very bright student, it's nuts. But we can't get the teacher to give her a separate list of spelling words.
So, now we are thinking - how do we FORCE the issue? It seems that the only way is to get it into the IEP somehow. But our school views an IEP as something related to special needs or learning disabilities, not giftedness.
Our child psychologist, who conducted the WISC on DD, also thinks that DD might have a discrepancy related to math. This is because her scores on the WISC are as follows:
Verbal Comprehension 47
Perceptual Reasoning 46
Working Memory 28
Processing Speed 31
Full Scale 152
Our Doctor said that if there is a big discrepancy in the scores, then there could be a learning disability. And that even though DD might be at grade level or above on a certain subject, you still have to look at the total IQ profile and see if something is out of whack on it. Basically, if she is low in one area, you don't dismiss that just because it is above grade level - you try and bring that area up to the level of her other subjects. I hope I'm making sense on that.
So, our Doctor said this, "Additional discrepancies in WISC-IV subtests occurred on those subtests measuring social reasoning and abstract spatial reasoning. While these scores are not below average, they are discrepant from other subtest scores. DD may need some additional assistance in those areas where reasoning as well as rote learning are required, particularly where social reasoning in required. Given these findings, DD would technically meet criteria for a (315.1) Math Disability, with a specific weakness in math reasoning."
We showed this to the IEP team at school, and they just blew it off as ridiculous. I don't know what to do about this. I'm not familiar enough with this to know what is right, wrong, correct or not correct.
If anyone can help me at all, I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks!