OK, I looked up NVLD and some of it fit, but a lot of it didn't for my DS. So far the only thing I have ever thought he tics all of the boxes for is ADHD. Well, all but the moves from one activity to another quickly. My DS is just the opposite, we can't get him to switch activities even with bribes and timers
It might be useful to mention that I was diagnosed with ADHD at 8, but without hyperactivity. My family never thought that it was a correct diagnosis though, as I was fine at home according to them. I was also given an IQ test at the time and despite my mom being convinced I was pretty smart due to early academic skills, I was scored at low average to borderline MR. This is the main reason I am worried for my son.
I have no idea what my actual IQ is, but I know that assessment was incorrect. I never really got good grades in school (and I failed things like gym, shop, typing, and other "easy A's"), but when I got to college and got to chose my own courses I was generally top of the class and the person who destroyed the curve. I remember once getting back a test I had gotten a 98 on and the next highest score was 54. I quickly learned to turn my returned work over as soon as I got it so that everyone wouldn't be annoyed with me.
I also remember being in the top reading group in elementary, but when I was in 3rd grade the schools introduced this new subject, phonics. I failed phonics each time while reading at the top of the class. I still don't get the idea behind phonics for people like me, who read words as a whole and apparently much quicker than the average person. I can actually read upside down faster than most people can read right side up.
My low IQ score and diagnosis of ADD landed me in the IU for years in a special classroom basically doing nothing because the teachers didn't have work at my level. When I finally returned to regular school I was years behind and hadn't learned any of the stuff the other kids had. My parents had to fight to get me out of the IU, even the IU didn't want me, they kept saying I was the best behaved and highest performing kid in the IU. But the school didn't want me back.
I eventually got out of that school early by testing into a program to go to college for my senior year. To this day I hate public schools and completely distrust the school system. I had terrible teachers, including one who said that I looked evil because I used to have some remnants of a lazy eye when I looked up at her. She always told me I weirded her out and looked possessed. Nice lady.
I would rather never send my son to any type of school than have him unhappy. I'm at an odd place where I need to balance all of his different needs and work with the IU for now. If I could just get his behavior "fixed" I could get him into a good private school and go from there. Now that he is 5 and still hitting, tantruming, super hyper and unfocused, and generally very difficult it is becoming more apparent that if I won't accept public school I'm going to need to prepare for the possibility of homeschooling. All that I care about is my sons happiness and I'm willing to do anything for that.
So this IQ test feels very scary to me. I want it to help us figure out what is wrong and also to show us any special strengths and I think it will be helpful with understanding some of his behavior. At the same time I worry that he will perform poorly like I did and his full abilities/needs won't be discovered at all.
Sorry to write a book again, I tend to do that
