Sharon, just revisiting the GAI question - have a look at this thread:
http://giftedissues.davidsongifted....ge_discrepancy_in_WISC_I.html#Post106352This is an example of both VCI and PRI being VERY high, but the supporting WMI and PSI are more "normal" so they pull the FSIQ down but the GAI is very very high. The GAI would reflect the child's incredible reasoning ability, the FSIQ may (or may not) be a better reflection of how they perform in the classroom. The GAI tells you that you have a child with truly extraordinary giftedness the FSIQ tells you it's possible they may perform like a more "normally gifted" kid. It's possible for a child with scores like that to either be under estimated or to be constantly asked why they don't try harder, why they are underperforming, etc.
These are astute comments, and you are very accurate. When I watch her in the classroom, she doesn't even look gifted (but there are social factors at play there too - she explained that no-one likes the girl who knows all the answers, so she only puts her hand up second). She has been known to take 2 school days to complete a simple assignment i.e. draw a picture of what you did at the weekend, and write a sentence to describe it. (Apparently she couldn't decide what to draw.) Even at home, we don't see reading etc. that would suggest anything very impressively beyond the typical child. She is reading Flower Fairy books for herself, but we are reading-aloud Swiss Family Robinson together.
However, when you interact with her she is awesomely, in-your-face, unmistakably smart, and even strangers remark on it after a brief conversation. I have seen her (age 5 yrs.) genuinely out-argue a smart tenure-track professor colleague of mine on a philosophical point. If you want a practical problem solved or a schedule organised, she is your woman!
She either can't or doesn't put her abilities out there though...
Thank you for your comments - they help me think about how I can best support her.
Nadro
