-Any and all scores from his elementary school (grades K and 1) 'don't matter at this school' because now he's on ADHD meds and so any prior testing is invalid. (what in the world? if anything, his scores would be better!)
It is my understanding that for some kids, the meds may dull the mind, depending upon dosage.
-they will not honor our independent testing results
Unfortunately, this is pretty typical.
To clarify:
- There is a process for identifying gifted individuals, usually involving an IQ test and often a private psychologist.
- There is a process for selecting students who are a good "fit" for a particular program of a government school's advanced academics, usually involving an achievement test.-they still see no need for a 504 but will consider after 1 month of the next school year, but only if it's affecting his academics
Read all you can about
504s.
our psychologist, who will advocate for us if we need her to... for a fee
Money well spent, IMO. Read all you can about
advocacy. Discuss strategy and approach. Ensure you are on the same page. Learn all you can from this professional, share resources, attend meetings together.
place him in a pod with two gifted certified teachers.
This is a start, I think. It is possible that these individuals may become your child's allies and help advocate for his educational needs to be met.
Did you document, document, document at home?
Did you follow-up with a friendly, concise letter of understanding after your meeting (summarizing agreements, next steps, timing, etc)?
You may wish to draft this and run it by your psychologist/advocate when you meet to discuss strategy and approach.PM'd you.
