Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Very slow processing...?

I did look into NVPD but a lot of the social stuff doesn't fit. He gets humor and social cues without problem, and although he doesn't have a lot of friends he does have them and prefers kids who are older. He likes math better than english and has been drawing since he could pick up a pencil. His handwriting is not so good, but pretty typical of the boys in his class (I volunteer in his class so I see how they all do on their homework and penmanship). It's more like he just isn't interested in academics. He does love animals and fish, and is very interested in biology in general.

Okay she says she didn't run it because he had a lot of anxiety and she was running out of time to finish the test. She said she could run it for me if I want but I think I will wait a bit and see how the school test comes out.

Is it possible their test is not very accurate?

The way that we always look for processing speed is in the child's ability to respond almost unbelievably fast, like before you can even finish the question.

Also, once they are taking standardized tests, it is our opinion that the goal was the best accuracy with the fastest speed because the careers that are matched with the highest IQs in one way or another require accuracy with speed.

I do think those tests in school for processing speed are somehow wrong, but I have never observed how they are administered.

If you are comfortable, ask the school for more detail.

Just from your post, it sounds like you are picking up on something for real, so don't ignore it. Their test might be wrong somehow. Good Luck!

Hi Wesupportgifted -

I don't know which test the school used yet. I assume it was some version of the Raven, it was a group, timed test. My DS has deep thoughts, but he is always off in a daydream, almost universally if I am talking to him he asks me to repeat what I am saying. I have asked him, are you having trouble hearing me, or were you off in your mind somewhere. He answers that it is the latter. He does not appear to have ADD, and when I had him assessed privately that was one of the things I was trying to determine. She said she didn't diagnose, but that she said she thought it was anxiety, not ADD. His last teacher felt he was gifted, even though he was having attention issues. He was getting 3s and 4s in school (basically proficient and advanced), even with the constant daydreaming.

You are correct that I am picking up on something. There is something wrong. Either he is not gifted (which I would be happy to believe except that he has all the other difficult gifted things like over excitabilities, anxiety, etc.) or he is gifted in a way this test didn't pick up.

Thanks for the luck

If he's daydreaming with slow processing speed that sounds like ADD to me (probably the predominantly inattentive "space cadet" type). Why do you and the psych think it's not? ADD can be hard to pick up in kids if they are not significantly hyper or impulsive. How does he do in school with finishing work? If he is one of the slowest in the class I would look more at ADD. Fill out the Conners and have the teacher do one as well. Also, with the test he did at school, find out if he finished it or left some questions blank becasue he ran out of time. My DD bombed the CogAT because she is so slow and it was timed, but her GAI on the WISC was 150+. If he didn't finish the test or left an abnormal amount of it blank, hopefully the school would be willing to give him a different one to get accurate results. Of course there are some schools which want only the fast, non-2e kids in their gifted programs so that would be another battle.

Okay blackcat I will look into that- I have been looking at that.

Wow, you're fast, I just edited my post and added more about the school test.

LOL- I am sitting in the hallway because my DS won't go to sleep as usual ...so surfing the internet it is! I don't think they will actually give me a copy of his test but they will give me what they called a "breakdown". Hopefully I can glean something from that.

I thought he did well on it as when I asked him about the test the day of he told me he loved it and felt he did very well on it. I asked him if when he finished it he was one of the last ones (there were two kids who hadn't finished it) and he said he completed it about halfway through (half the kids had finished it, and half were still taking it).

The mystery continues...

Our kids must be twins because I hear mine rattling around as well, in the next room. Sleep issues common with ADHD. With DD they did mail the parents score reports and I had to look at it closely and it said the number of questions they attempted. I was baffled because they gave her the CogAT in kindergarten (an untimed version) when she was grade accelerated and she did fine. So I figured her scores would be about the same but they were dramatically different.

Well he likes to read or talk about scary things during the day, then at night (surprise) he wants us to take away his closet. I have explained that taking the closet away makes no rational sense, but he still wants it gone.

I remember I used to love to read very disturbing mythology/fairy tales as a child (The Girl Who Trod On A Loaf was one that specifically terrified me) during the day, then at night it all changed and I couldn't sleep...

I don't think he took the CogAT, but I guess I'll know when I get the results.