I'm looking for opinions and perhaps guidance. The essence of my question...and then I'll give all the background....is whether to accelerate a child with EG IQ that has lower achievement scores (about 1.5 grades above) but not diagnosed LD...just a potential processing glitch? I'm stuck on next steps due to my child's complicated profile. He is in first grade at a high achieving public school
Background:IQ: He completed ed psych testing last summer with a reputable tester. WISC-IV shows a GAI of 170 with majority of strength in VCI (166) but a 145ish in PRI. The processing speed was significantly lower...my recall is 97. Symbol search was lowest which I understood was a sign that the processing speed may be a visual perception or processing glitch versus just about fine motor skills (which are certainly depressed.)
ACH: WJ-III showed a discrepancy. Results were rather consistent amongst subtexts but depressed in comparison to IQ. Most scores were in the low 120s....1-2 grades ahead range I believe.
Phonological testing: revealed strength not deficit. Test been down three times.
Beery motor: demonstrated no major call outs but a little dip consistent with processing dip.
Executive skill and other behavior assessments: in normal range (though I see a few executive skill red flags as he gets older...nothing extreme!)
Consensus: something going on but what? Unknown.
Intervention: Our plan was to remediate outside of school. Enrich inside school. And wait to see what develops before we go down the path of accelerate or even accommodate/ remediate in school.
- 45 minutes a week with OG tutor
- 1 hour a week with OT on handwriting.
- Vision was checked and fine (we did not go down the developmental vision road due to skepticism of vision therapy on my DH's behalf,..we went down ophthalmologist road.)
We are a year later. It is very hard for me to ascertain improvement.
Teacher Feedback:- tutor says she has never seen someone learn so fast. That my child never once needed a phonics lesson repeated. Tutor believes there is some processing glitch based on how my child seems very dependent on rules to decode. She provided a thorough comprehension test two grades above and he read at 145 wpm; he missed 4 words, 2 that did not really change the meaning of the story. He had 100% on comprehension questions but retellimg was dismal with lack of detail and all out of sequence.
- OT says she has never seen a child progress so fast. Started with fine motor in handwriting of a child two years younger than chronological age. Now on par if not ahead. Works best when using highlighted paper and well line. Speed is the issue now and minimal reversals (the number 6 still an issue.)
- teacher and gifted coordinator see his brilliance. Believes there is absolute no learning disability or processing glitch. Believe he doesn't always listen jumping into an activity before the lesson is complete and he tries to make the solutions much more complicated than they actually are (because he doesn't listen to the process given to solve.). If course doesn't listen or can't listen is my question...meaning is he not comprehending the process or is he truly tuning out? They are adamant he tunes out based on how eager he is to start the assignment. I have seen him do this!
The child: He does enjoy some math and reading work outside of school but very little...he will do maybe 30 minutes on .khan academy (school gave him an account for enrichment) and he reads an awful lot of non-fiction. He isn't terribly academic but he is interested in science and ancient history/world cultures. He complains of boredom in school...but doesn't want more math or reading per sell.wants science and social studies! Told me he might just scream out one day during class. , "teach me science. I m begging you!" He is a rather creative (not artsy) thinker.
I post all of this as his underachievement really scared me as did the testers feedback that she felt pretty certain some LD was present and it was making him embarrassed and anxious. However I have trouble clearly naming this LD. Meanwhile I'm on hold trying to ascertain do I advocate for some acceleration? I think I'd be laughed at if I try and ask for a single accommodation. I don't want my child to have a life of coasting as I can tell he isn't the overachiever/academically competitive type...but he is a good worker and tries to do whatever anyone asks him too.
So, here is where I need advice. Anyone accelerate a EG child with 2e issues that has depressed achievement scores (but still 1-2 grades above level). How did that work for ya?
