Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment One Score Pulls the Others Up?

I think it's important to note that a discrepancy *might* be due to an LD, but it could exist in an individual without the presence of an LD. Typically what happens with an LD diagnosis is that a person will have some type of struggle or area of weakness, that might (or might not) show as a discrepancy in IQ subtest scores or ability vs achievement scores - when the discrepancy is noted combined with observations of a challenge, *then* additional testing is conducted to determine the nature of the discrepancy and challenges. It's not as straightforward as "a discrepancy of > 30 points = LD" and likewise, not a guarantee that there's an LD simply because there is a discrepancy.

polarbear

I think you'll understand a lot more about what the psych found once you actually meet with him/her My advice is to think through the complaints about school - what is it specifically that your ds doesn't like about school, have you watched him at school yourself? What do his teachers say etc? Have that fresh in your mind when you go in for your post-testing review with the psych.

I also wanted to note - your ds is very young, and as another poster replied, there could be many *many* different reasons that one subtest score was much higher or lower than another. At the same time, try to look at what's happening at school with an open mind - don't be too quick to assume it's all just a bored gifted kid. My ds has an LD that causes a discrepancy in IQ subtest scores... he was so obviously gifted when he was 5 years old and first tested (based on listening to him talk) that both myself and the psych who tested him put off a large discrepancy in scores as due to gifted behaviors while taking the test. As ds went on to Kindergarten and then 1/2 grade, he had an undiagnosed LD, and I was still seeing an obviously super-intelligent kid, so any signs of complaints, tantrums, etc I put off to his being bored with what should be easy work at school. Thing is, that work wasn't easy at all for him.

Soooooooo..... my suggestion is - listen to what the psych has to say about the discrepancies. If she suggests it's just an issue of having not done his best due to being distracted or some other reason etc - ask if there is any other type of test she can administer to verify that it was just a one-test fluke. Or if she says that it might be due to an LD or might not but it's too early to tell because he's so young, ask what other types of tests might be used to follow-up on what's going on. I wouldn't be satisfied just leaving it as an unknown or assuming he will test differently/higher later on *when* there is an issue with complaints about school happening already. He might be just super-bright and bored or there might be something else going on. If he's just super-bright and bored, nothing bad is going to happen by reassuring yourself through a closer look that that is all it is. If there is more to it, you'll be soooo happy that you took the time to figure it out now instead of waiting a few years.

Best wishes,

polarbear

And apparently, it's a different thing that actually has scientific support:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090325091834.htm


I would say that, if you hear or read verbal information, convert it into imagery, and learn from it, you're still learning verbally, even while still employing a preferred visual processing mode. Or vice-versa.

Could you put him in a play based pre school. 4 is awful young to be asked to do boring worksheets over and over again. You can teach him stuff at home and he can go to school to play.

I come from a country where academics before five are frowned upon but it seems to me if you can delay the boredom a bit longer it will give you more time to sort things out.