Hi All,

First post...long time reader. We have been waiting to have our DS tested until he turned 7. He finally got tested recently and I'm still trying to understand the results. The past 3 years I have been researching giftedness/Sensory Processing/Asperger's--now ASD/Visual Spatial Learner/ADHD. SIGH! I guess we have answers? I'm still confused!

Story in a nutshell: we have had a wonderful 7 years thus far with my DS. He has always been different in a cool way. Teachers, friends, family--everyone notices if they know him at all. He has had OT now for several things, but mainly sensory issues like proprioception and vestibular issues. He was extremely weak in the area of fine motor, so he worked on that as well. He responded wonderfully to OT.

He has also always been nutty smart. The most observant child I've ever known...down to the detail. How that relates or connects to something else he's seen. Sort of pattern-making. He never has to study for a spelling test. You tell him the word once, he's got it. Same with basically anything memory. It is just all super easy to him. We've been told a ton he's gifted and after research for the last 3 years as mom I agree. We had him tested at 5 for ASD (Asperger's Syndrome in particular). Turns out he is not. He does walk the line, but he is too social with whom he chooses to be social. They recommended full battery at 7. We just got results back.

So, turns out he's ADHD. I can see it at home b/c he does have a total lack of self-control. Very clumsy. Climbs and hops from furniture piece to piece. Cannot follow 2 or 3 step directions often over easy things like putting clothes in dirty hamper. I'd always ruled this out b/c he's well behaved at school and does really well. He's only in first grade but the test the school gave him for the gifted program came back with him scoring in the 3 percentile. INSANE. As in awful awful score.

Here's my ?: Doc said his IQ test was too scattered due to the ADHD. His processing speed was apparently really impaired. On the non-verbal part he did better but only showed giftedness in one area: Matrix Reasoning. He scored in the 99.6 percentile with a scaled score of 18.

I still think my child is gifted. In fact I pretty much know. I know I sound crazy, but now that I know he has a disability how do I ever figure out if he really is? Or do the scores not lie? Is he only gifted in one little area? Does ADHD only hinder scores in some kids?

I'm so confused. I feel helpless. I know he sees and manipulates things very spatially and rote is boring and torturous for him. ;-) I truly believe he's visual spatial with a side of ADHD. I'm so scared school is going to be a nightmare, yet I know he's crazy smart. Any help/advice/wisdom is GREATLY appreciated.

Does one high scaled score mean anything?