My son is highly gifted in reading, math and science. According to the NWEA RIT charts, he's scoring in the 92nd percentile for 11th grade math. He will be placed in advaced classes and will participate in Math League and Knowledge Bowl. His penmanship and spelling, however, look like a 4 year old's. The school has been wonderful in working with us. He has a 504 that specifically addresses his handwriting and written processing problems.
Would it be worth trying to get an IEP for direct services to address the handwriting and written expression problems?
My worry is about the anxiety. When my son gets anxious, he has to get up, pace and move his hands. He has had very caring teachers that have helped him the past few years to deal with this and give him the space he needs. He leaves the classroom when he can't keep it in check and this has worked for him. He also works once/week with a school social worker to help him cope.
The other awesome thing about an IEP is that you can spell out strategies for teachers to use in dealing with tricky behaviors, and it's binding. It might be worth pursuing.
I think you should schedule-- preferably before the end of this school year!-- a tour of the middle school, a meet-the-teachers moment for your DS, and a transition meeting with this year's and next year's teachers and relevant school staff to discuss your child's needs. This would help get everyone on the same page. You need them to understand him, and for him to be comfortable in the new environment. The best way to get there is to set it up to be as familiar as possible, on all sides.
DeeDee
