I just needs something on paper so that we can get any accommodations he might need like extra time on fill in the bubble tests, etc.
Has he filled in bubble sheets before? Did he have trouble with it? If he is able to enter data into a cell phone and play the piano I'm surprised he'd have trouble with bubble sheets. A lot of kids who struggle with handwriting can still do fine with bubble sheets. I'd keep in mind with a test like the SAT they are filling out maybe one bubble a minute. That isn't very much.
My biggest question is about creating new neural pathways. I still don't understand how this works. I mean, I know how it is supposed to work, but I am seeing different results than what I would expect.
Can he do things now he didn't used to be able to do? Do you see any progress now versus when he was six years old? If so it is working, it is just maybe not working at the rate you'd like or expect but that doesn't mean it isn't working. I'm not sure any doctor will be able to give you the answer you want to this question because there is a lot that isn't know in general about the brain and that can't be predicted about the development of an individual person. Based on our experience I'd say that it is just impossible to know. Some pathways were laid down easier than would have been predicted. Some were much, much, much harder taking years and years of steady incremental practice. I know that is discouraging but that may be all you get.
I agree the questions are probably dictated by what you hear back. The questions I would suggest:
What specific interventions would have the greatest possibility of helping?
What long term limitations do you expect our child will have in college and as an adult?
I would also talk openly with them about the concerns about anxiety and feeling discouraged and ask if working with a psychologist might be helpful.
