ElizabethN - I don't think I put that well/properly. It was meant in isolation for 1 thing - getting a handwriting evaluation done, the sole purpose of which seems to be to see if a child requires extra time to complete tests - seems not to hold much benefit in a homeschooling environment.
On the contrary, getting a full evaluation to give us the big picture is exactly what I'm looking for - I don't want us to start homeschooling and to end up feeling like we failed because we were missing a whole lot of info on DS that would allow us to make the accommodations that will be necessary regardless of how he's being educated.
You also need to understand that things are very VERY different here (in South Africa), just in terms of knowledge/awareness, even among the professionals - I have asked teachers about my concerns numerous times, I asked the psych he saw for school related anxiety (and who just wanted him on Ritalin even though she herself said the evaluation didn't indicate a strong likelihood of ADHD). There is very little in place here in terms of support and processes, and to be honest, I wasn't even aware we HAD any neuropsychologists, and apart from people on this forum, no-one has ever recommended we see one. (It turns out we do have neuropsychs - there are 42 registered with the association here - that's for a population of about 40-odd million).
So please don't think I'd just write everything off because we're going to homeschool, that's not at all what I meant. BUT, I did need to ask whether those of you who'd been through the evaluations had found them useful and meaningful enough to recommend them. He has been evaluated by an educational psychologist who said tests indicated sensory issues, and referred us to an OT who then did the SIPT etc. He's also seen what I'd call reading specialists at edublox, who did an evaluation on his reading, and worked with him on the areas they thought problematic. He's been for a full visual assessment and we've gotten glasses and done visual therapy. He's done TLP for auditory processing. He saw another psych for IQ tests, and yet another for the anxiety last year. None of these specialists seemed to pick up on anything they felt needed further investigation, and none of them advised us to do further checks, or to see anyone else.
I do think a lot of this has to do with simply not having experience with gifted kids - if he's (just about) coping with some grade-level stuff, and way above grade level on others, why on earth would we be concerned - that's basically the impression I get when I try ask someone here about this.
aeh, I appreciate your input - it's not that I'm only going to the OT with all this the whole time, it's just that my daughter is in OT now and I remember discussing possible dysgraphia with her when my son was still in OT, but at the time she said she could only test from age 9, so we didn't get there. Since he is now 9, I asked her about it again, and this was when she said the main purpose would be to ask for extra test time.
Thank you all for your advice, I appreciate it.
Last edited by M2iChances; 10/27/15 11:12 PM.
