Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Please help me understand child results

I’m a parent of 2 gifted kids. One is 2e with auditory processing disorder and a leaning disability called written expression disorder.

Everything you wrote makes me think 2e.

Some parent to parent advice:

* typical schools don’t know what to do with a 2e kid. You need to find out what’s going on then go back to the school and tell them what those experts suggest. Communicate a lot, realize they may be very uninformed, make very specific requests based on data from experts.

* unique WISC sounds like gifted & disabled. I don’t like that you don’t have details, maybe b/c the school did it? Go somewhere where you can get the details and have it explained to you.

*OT can’t diagnose learning disabilities. Sometimes people overstep their skill base. I’ve had several professionals overstep their realm of knowledge trying to figure out what’s going on with my kid. If you want to find out if someone’s overstepping… bring up what one expert said to another. It makes them mad and then you get a better take on what’s data and what’s someone’s opinion.

* I feel like everyone suspects adhd. It’s my pet peeve with how people approach my son. I feel like it is too commonly used as a catch all for symptoms and behaviors that no one knows what to do with. (I’m not saying ADHD isn’t real. For people who really fit the profile, the diagnosis is helpful).

we took my son to a neuropsych that specializes in gifted/2e and that was super helpful. They confirmed gifted & learning disability. They gave us a report and recommendations for accommodations. That gave us really solid material to request a 504 at school. They also informed me a lot so I can then communicate to others. Def look for someone who specializes in gifted/2e, you won’t feel like such a unicorn/problem/unique to them.

There were a few things my son does/has done that weren’t explained by the neuropsych report. The neuropsych report was super complex. I started reading about each thing. My son has issues with working memory. When I read about that, I came across auditory working memory and auditory processing disorders. The symptom list was very familiar and explained some of the things I felt weren’t explained already. I scheduled auditory processing testing with an audiologist and he was diagnosed. Audiologist also provided accommodations list for 504 at school.

The neuropsych and the audiologist don’t work together and their diagnosis overlap a bit. The causes of certain things are different depending on who you ask. So, if your kid has a vision issue and a unique learning profile, you may not be able to get full agreement between the two.

I would start with a gifted/2e neuropsych comprehensive evaluation. To find a resource look at local gifted organization resources, ask the schools gifted coordinator, or just start looking up people who write books or speak about 2e diagnosis to see if they have an office nearby.

Be nice to the school and pediatrician, but know that they just don’t know enough to be helpful to you.

My son had terrible anxiety around school and writing. He previously was punished for things related to disability. Appropriate accommodations have made a big difference for him. He’s much happier at school and has a group of friends now. His and my relationship with school & teachers is dramatically different and better. His teacher this year is supportive and values his accommodations (doesn’t find them a nuisance or unnecessary).