We had DS tested at age 5 at the insistence of the school. They refused to discuss advancements with us without the test results. I did not consider this a valid test as I knew the challenges he was facing at that particular time. School picked the tester, who is probably great with average kids, but knew nothing about mine.
We had him retested at age 7.6. I took him to a 2e specialist. I wanted to check on a questionable diagnosis, look for anything else that I may have missed, and get a reliable score on his IQ. It took several days for the complete workup, but was extremely informative. We discussed types of schools for a good fit, we talked about academic pursuits, strengths, weaknesses, areas to remediate, social outlets, how to find a mentor, how to support DS's emotional development, etc. I still use the information in that eval today. I could have him retested next year for a more stable IQ and to see if the remediation is helping his challenges, but I will likely not retest. His current scores allow him access to the programs that will support his growth in the present and future, so a higher (in the event it goes higher) score would not benefit him in any way.
Testing is expensive. What do you want to do with the results? Do you just want to know or are you trying to get your child into any programs such as DYS?
I know the testing is expensive. That is part of the reason why I haven't done it because both my DH and I have to agree to spend that kind of money. I don't think he sees the value of having the test done. Like you explained for your DS, it helped you in different areas other than just academics. I do want him to get into programs like DYS. I of course like to know where he's at
Also it would be a good report to show his current school that my DS needs an advanced curriculum in certain areas. They are taking the MAP test in early Nov and the school will provide an individualized plan for him if he scores well (our school starts gifted program in 3rd grade and 99% based on testing scores). I kind of worry about his test score though because he's such a careless test taker. Maybe I should at least wait to see his test results and decide what needs to be done.
