Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Testing child with ADHD

Our insurance doesn't test any kind of evaluation for ADHD or learning disabilities (although they cover her meds, ironically). The reason DS's testing was covered was because of the brain injury and the neuoropsych coding the visit as traumatic brain injury.
We have open enrollment coming up for insurance so I should look into other plans and see if there is one that covers neuropsych testing.
We are in MN-Twin Cities area if anyone has recommendations for a place/person to do testing. The neuropsych that saw DS said he doesn't do cases like DD.

Another vote for the neuropsych. Results are invaluable and provide an expert who vouches for what your child needs.

By the way - a 504 is to cover accommodations for a MEDICAL diagnosis. The child's grades should not be a factor in the matter.

Just because a kid with terrible asthma is getting A's, doesn't mean they don't need a 504 for accommodations regarding physical activity. Just because a kid with PTSD gets A's doesn't mean they don't require accommodations. Same for ADHD! If you want a 504 you need to submit a request, in writing, asking for an evaluation.

Personally, I would want to go into the ARD meeting (or whatever they call the acceptance meeting where you live) with paperwork in-hand from a private neuropsych or psychologist.

What is an ARD or acceptance meeting? Believe me, the school has been totally ridiculous in the situation with both my kids. The school psych told me that if DD is doing fine in school and her learning isn't impacted (which according to her, it isn't because she does so well on achievement tests)she does not qualify for a 504. I informed the psych that they need to evaluate DD based on her medical diagnosis (ADHD) on how she is WITHOUT any modifications (like the meds) and that this is federal law. She said she wasn't aware of that (!!!!). But it still boils down to "no modifications are needed at this time." The teacher did not help, claiming that DD was "perfect" and she didn't see any issue with her. The school psych went in and observed her one day for 45 min. (probably when her Adderall was fully kicked in) and then told me she didn't see any problems. So I let it go. Then the last week of school I got an email from DD's teacher saying that DD is sloppy, moody, excessively slow, can't accomplish the simplest tasks, etc (this after she claimed she was "perfect"!!!). I forwarded that onto the school psych with a note "maybe she needs a 504 after all" and of course the psych never replied, which is typical. We switched her meds over the summer and so far the new teacher doesn't have any complaints. I'm not sure what I'd ask for in a 504. If I took her off her meds, then it would become painfully obvious to everyone that DD has major issues (and her current teacher did see that one day when I ran out of patches), but if she is overall fine on the meds, then I'm not sure what the 504 would address (other than the CogAt).

FYI, the CogAT is NOT supposed to be timed for grades K-2. For many kids it is the very first standardized test they have ever taken. It is also not intended to be used as a way to exclude kids from gifted programs, even though it routinely is. The creators themselves have said that.

Her scores should not be considered valid if she did not finish. I don't think they need to give her a different test necessarily. They should start with giving the CogAT properly.

I think they use a grade level ahead. So she was in second grade and taking the third grade test. The other issue was that she had just turned 7 when she took it, since she was grade accelerated. How many just-turned 7 year olds have the maturity to take a timed test like that, esp. if it is two grade levels ahead of their age?
She had to also take the CogAt when she was grade accelerated in K, and I don't know what her scores were--just that the non-verbal was very high and verbal was just "ok", around the 90th percentile I think (so the opoposite of what we are seeing now with the verbal being highest). That version wasn't timed and was given to her orally. She also wasn't medicated at all back then so I'm surprised she wasn't dancing around on the table.

Is there something in writing somewhere saying that the test should not be valid if she did not finish. Right now it's sitting in her file and the third grade teacher was actually referring to it to make curriculum decisions for her! She decided that she is a verbal/reading kid and not very good at math. Apparently she didn't look at her 98th percentile math achievement test! I just want that awful, misleading report out of her records. You have to look at it closely to figure out she didn't answer half the questions.

A great many school administrators and special ed specialists, however, DO in fact think that this is so. It's maddening that they don't see it as discriminatory that such children are not getting the same basic access with dignity that their peers do. But a great many school officials we've run into over the years don't see the problem if there "isn't a learning deficit." I'm pretty sure that none of them would actually think that a mobility-challenged child should have to "just watch" the other kids during PE, or drag him/herself up the stairs to the (non-accessible) restrooms. But at the same time, they may really not see how exclusion or embarrassment of children for other disabilities is just as wrong.

To them, I say, meet Lillie. (Lillie-Felton, I mean. )

ARD = Acceptance / Review / Dismissal = It's a meeting to get started with a 504 or IEP, to change it, or end it. Other places call it something else.

Your child wouldn't qualify for an IEP if they are passing, but they should qualify for a 504. You might want to check out http://www.wrightslaw.com

The only reason I was able to get an IEP for DS was due to his severe anxiety and PDD-NOS diagnosis from the neuropsychologist.

How frustrating for you! The CogAt is not timed per se, but at that age isn't it READ to them, so they in effect need to "keep up"? If they do not answer quickly, I believe the teacher/proctor goes on to read the next question? After her spring CogAt, DD mentioned lots of kids asking the teacher to repeat questions and otherwise making comments during the test - I got the impression that the teacher did NOT want to repeat questions. I also thought that I read somewhere that if there is enough of a disparity between subtest scores, the test results may be questionable. I believe, however, that this information is only available on certain score report formats (with an SAS for each subsection, which our district did not provide)- it was not on our CoGat score report, because parents only received percentiles scores, and then a composite. I actually would like the SAS subtest scores, because although DD had a 99% composite score, she has a 9(V+ Q-) profile and I'd like to know how significant the point difference is between her subtest scores. I suspect she may have hit a ceiling on the verbal portion, but that her quantitative was many points lower. I believe you need the SAS subtest scores for this, though, as the percentiles give a vague picture. This test sounds like it is trouble for many very, very bright children - I have been reading quite a bit trying to make heads-or-tails out of the limited information that has been shared with us - I hope that you have some success with your schools!