Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment WPPSI results

My daughter was tested 4 years ago, she is now 8 and I am thinking of having her retested. When she was 4, I was concerned with her motor skills so I requested for her to be evaluated by our County. Part of this testing included an IQ test. The tester used the WPPSI-III. After the test, he told me that he had never tested anyone at my daughters level.He also said that he ran out of block designs for her. I have been told by a gifted specialist that this might have resulted in a lower score. As you can see with the scores below, she does not qualfy for Davidson's Young Scholars.
Scores- Full Scale IQ-145 Verbal IQ- 136 Performance IQ-143
Subtests- information-16 Block Design- 18
Receptive Vocabulary-17 Object Assembly-17

My daughter is in a private school for gifted children and is doing very well, getting straight A's, but is not truly challenged. My husband and I are considering retesting her with the possibility that she qualifies for Davidson Young Scholars. We both feel that we could use the support and guidance that Davidson offers. I would appreciate any input on her scores and the plan on retesting.

My 11 yr. old daughter's WPPSI scores qualified her for the gifted program but were not a true picture of her abilities. (I think perfectionism and a tester inexperienced with gifted kids were issues). She was recently re-tested and qualifies for DYS now. I was very glad to have the additional data.

I've read informal reports that made me wonder about ceiling issues with the WPPSI-III, as well as opinions that highly gifted children may not be well engaged by the test. Meanwhile, a child needs a higher score of 150 on it for DYS entry than for the SB-V or WISC-IV. Throw in the variability inherent in testing four-year-olds, and I'd certainly consider a retest if accurate results are important.

In our experience, with DS entering DYS at age 5, the program has been beneficial, and we're grateful, but we haven't taken much advantage of it. DS hasn't joined any of the bulletin boards or mailing lists, and neither have we parents; we spend a fair amount of time reading these and other public boards and other materials, though. Be prepared for your family consultant to be just that, offering helpful tips and references but not necessarily an advocate/lawyer type (I don't know what you're expecting). Eight is getting more toward the age where extra services lined up through DYS may be helpful. Personally, if money is tight and the testing will be dear, I wouldn't test at age eight just for DYS entry, although it is certainly a good thing to have and could be one factor. If the money is not a big issue, I'd certainly go for it out of sheer curiosity as well as the possibility of DYS entry. Note that even if your daughter doesn't achieve entry into DYS for whatever reason, you can get access to pretty much all the info that DYS offers parents about advocacy etc., you just won't have access to the services.

In our particular situation, money is tight. As of this exact moment we've called off our plans to homeschool next year, but as of right now all that our $1000 spent on testing has done for us, in terms of practical schooling gains, is help push successfully for a grade skip and an extra subject acceleration in math. These measures still may not be enough academically, but are enough of an amelioration of DS's situation in the short term to make staying in public school for another year worthwhile for social reasons. However, if we'd simply yanked and homeschooled him, we'd have avoided a huge hassle and he'd be more ahead academically. A month ago, when we were resolved on homeschooling, I was wishing we had the $1,000 back to spend on homeschooling resources-- and if we homeschool year after next, I may be wistfully remembering that $1,000 once more.

Thank you both for taking the time to respond. I do feel that the WPPSI was not a true picture of her abilities. I feel that even in the gifted school, she is coasting along. She starts 3rd grade in the Fall and I am asking for another skip into a higher math group. Money is definitely a factor in testing her a second time. We didn't pay for the WPPSI because it was part of her complete evaluation from the county, so we don't even know how much we should expect to pay. I am currently a stay-at-home mom, but before I had my daughter I worked as a reading teacher. I considered homeschooling, but not sure if that would work for us. My daughter is very outgoing and loves the social aspect of school, I also don't know if I am up to it, getting her to do her HW can be challenging enough
I do realize that DS will not advocate for my daughter, but I sometimes feel we need an experts opinion on what we should be doing for her. I thought sending her to the gifted school would be enough, but while she does love it there, I am not sure that is where she should be. Public school would also not work as it is against the district policy to move kids up in grade by subject. So she would have to stay in her third grade class for reading and math, though she is far beyond that level.

You can buy a lot of books for the money that testing will cost.

In your situation, if I were to test, I'd be sure to find someone with expertise testing gifted kids. Your daughter's WPPSI results may also have been depressed by inexperience of the county tester. Based on what I've read (keeping in mind that I'm a non-expert) I would stay away from testing by students or interns, etc. even though it may be a lot cheaper. I'd also make sure that your tester uses modern tests.

I would look around for a tester with experience in GT kids. We found one that our insurance accepted. We had to pay for the test itself, but the other meetings were billed through insurance. The total cost for us was around $175 for WiSC-IV
I found the testing very helpful in understand my DS. I agree with Lucounu! Try to stay away from bargin testing if at all possible. I would make sure the tester is experienced in GT kids, extended norms, and GAI.

Good luck

Thanks so much for responding again I am going to ask at her school for some names of testers that they recommend. It is a school for gifted children and I know that they do refer some testers to parents interested in the school. If we test again I do want someone very experienced in testing gifted children as you all recommended.