So I'm scratching my head a bit here, because I am puzzling over what is going on with DYS DD10. She is young for grade, but in the correct grade for her age. She used to love school. Over the past year and a half, she has started complaining quite a bit about boredom. Her school has limited G&T programming (one gifted class per day), which she is in...but that leaves the rest of the day.
DD is intense (to put it mildly). She is extremely independent and self-directed.
She has always tested high in standardized achievement and ability tests. When she took the WISC, however, there was an almost 60-point spread between her VCI (qualified for extended norms) and her WMI. Her WMI is above average...her other scores are just much, much higher. Her PSI is in the 99th percentile. I asked the tester about the big spread in her scores and her WMI and was told that I should keep an eye on it. Her WMI is actually above-average, but TO HER, I was told, it could feel like a disability.
We had previously advocated for her needing challenge (her ability and her out-of-level testing came back very, very high), but the school insisted that she was already in the most challenging classes for grade...and the school simply does not seem to believe in grade acceleration (we never even got to the point of how this might go as they were so convinced that their curriculum was so very challenging, they believed that she MUST be challenged).
Private gifted school is simply not an option at the moment, as it is extremely expensive (and I have 2 DYS). We are not poor enough to qualify for financial aid. DD is also rather stubborn, so I fear that homeschooling her would turn into a constant battle.
Fast forward to this year and DD has devolved from a student who loved school to a student who hates school. Last year, she seemed able to manage her assignments with no check-ins necessary from parents and she continued on in her independent ways. This year, she cried for hours before school started, declared she hated school and did not want to go. She is angry often and starting homework is constantly a battle (she'd rather read a book). Having no better options available, we insisted she attend and placed her in counseling. Recently, I am finding out that she is now missing assignments. Several. I do not know if this is an executive function issue (the teachers and her counselor seem to think that she does not have ADD/ADHD), or if she is just showing all of us what she says...that she hates school and just does not care. Obviously, tardy schoolwork is not going to help any future advocacy efforts, either.
I am truly at a loss about what to do with this child. I do not know whether she has actually has an EF issue or if she is simply checked-out. Obviously, it could be a bit of both. I am trying to figure out how to help her, but at the moment, I am not really sure what direction to turn. Thank you for listening.
