Do you think she needs the services they are offering? If so, you may want to weigh the option of taking their assessment for what it's worth (services) and letting them give her an IEP. There is no such thing as a permanent record, and the school's assessment is not an official diagnosis.
Of course, this would depend on how it's handled. You don't want them telling her she has a disability that you suspect she doesn't. But if they're telling you that she needs help with some skills, and they're offering that help, I'd consider it an option.
What testing did the neuropsych use to rule out autism? Did he give the ADOS and Conner's rating scale? In our experience, no matter how gifted she is, if her social skills are impaired in spite of your teaching and effort to work on them, it can be a sign that something more complex is going on. In your shoes I might even seek a second opinion privately to tip the balance between what school is saying with what Dr. Neuropsych is saying.
Every professional comes at a child with a "take" on things and a skill set for seeing certain issues and missing others. They ALL have blind spots. At some point you will have to choose which path leads to the best outcome.
Tough situation; but you're on top of it and I know you'll make good choices for your DD.
DeeDee
Edited to add: oops, I see now that you already have two opinions from outside...
Last edited by DeeDee; 09/01/10 02:37 PM.
