Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Material for tester?

We are meeting with neuropsychologist later this week. She requested we bring examples of his work. I'm kind of at a loss. Ds is 5 in kindergarten.

I have list of milestones, books read (this school year) with AR tests, MAP results. She wants to see handwriting sample as his handwriting is definitely not a strength. I'm not sure if I should try to get him to "do" something that I could bring. (Btw, his strengths are reading, language- English and Spanish, and animal facts. He does not seem mathy yet. He does grasp concepts easily- usually first time and retains.)

Part of me thinks that she will see for herself when he is there. He is very outgoing and easy to engage. Any thoughts? Do I need to bring more?

I'm sorry I don't have any advice but I wish you and your son good luck!

Thanks KADmom. We are anxious for some insight and help.

If the tester is asking for something, I would bring it. Do you have any worksheets from school? Working on letters or anything? If not, ask your son to write something for you. I wouldn't tell him why or coach him to do his best. Just have him write an informal note, letter, story or a couple of sentences. You are trying to get an accurate evaluation done, so I would bring anything and everything that is asked for by the neuropsychologist.

colomom- thanks for your thoughts. Yes, I plan to bring worksheets from school to illustrate handwriting. I just don't think I have anything that shows his strengths (besides what I mentioned above). Do you think I should be concerned about this? Or what I have plus meeting and testing with my child will be sufficient?

Your goal is not to get the "best" score from the neuropsych - it's to get the most accurate score. So you shouldn't try to cherry-pick his best work. You are bringing stuff that shows how he is doing in different areas. You might clue in the tester to ask him about animals when she is chatting with him to get to know him, not so much to show an academic strength as because it's an interest area for him and he will feel more comfortable talking to her about it.

ElizabethN- thanks. I will stop over thinking and simply place what I have in a folder. Hard to know what to put together as this is our first experience. In saying that, you are absolutely right that we want to most accurate assessment.

It sounds like you have at least lists of books read with AR scores which give an indication at least as to weather the books were really read or not, plus MAP scores. If you have concerns about the tests not fully seeing your child's strengths, ask about it. But, really you DO want an accurate picture, not just the positives.

Just to say- the tester we met with was very- well what we needed. Now, lets see what happens when ds meets her. Cautiously optimistic.

I may be too late judging from your last post but when we tested our ds at 4 we brought pictures of some of his Lego creations that he could talk about in warming up to the tester. We also brought a book that he had written (I typed as he dictated) and he glued the type with pictures he staged with his trains to tell the story. He read her the story and answered questions about it and the pictures.