Yes, to what Polarbear said! Testing was helpful for us. We decided to test DS soon after he turned 6 in K, having waited until 6 so that we could use the WISC, but also as we were hoping that we would not need to test. While it could have been a coincidence, the school was much more responsive afterwards. It was my sense that this was due both to them assessing DS differently (out-of-level testing in math, for instance) after being made aware of his IQ percentile, as well as them coming to their own awareness through observation. It seemed the percentiles provided a lens to interpret their observations and helped in our advocacy, as they were now aware that he was an outlier and someone who would likely always need more, rather than a kid who entered K reading several grades ahead perhaps through work that we'd done. Additionally, testing can be helpful to both school and family in highlighting -- and therefore helping to anticipate -- the extent of the the acceleration that may be needed as well as pointing out any as-yet-unnoticed strengths or needs.
