Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Testing/Retesting

I wonder why your school would recommend testing and then not have a plan to do anything with it? Did they assume that he was going to score on the low side?
Are the problems mentioned only being seen at school or at home also?
I would check with your state's gifted laws and then approach the school for an Educational Plan meeting.
Many problems can be worked out my having a meeting that includes the pricipal, the teacher, and your psych. if you find one.
In the meantime I would follow up with the school psych. who did the test and ask her some directed questions. She should have made notes in the full report outlining his behavior patterns during the test. You may get some answers from her.
GOOD LUCK!

Floridama, I think the school does plan to "do something with it". Everyone seemed to agree that my son was significantly ahead of his peers academically. However, it was the inattention in the classroom and difficulty relating to his age peers that prompted testing. Turns out, with observation and the testing, that some of those "issues" are probably at least partially related to his need for more challenge in the classroom.
Note - The school psych. recommended a grade skip (to 3rd), but neither we nor the head of school were convinced that is the right thing to do. Maybe when he matures a bit more? I look forward to meeting with an independent psych. very soon to try to sort out all of the test results and determine how to proceed with the school.

Further to the situation outlined in the above posts, we have met with the independent (not the school's)psychologist, and, after a lengthy discussion, decided to proceed with neuropsych. testing to rule out (please!) attention deficit for our DS7. My question now: Does anyone have any advice on talking with your child about testing (i.e., that testing is going to happen; why testing is being done)? I have given it a lot of thought, and hope that I will present it in a way that will not make him anxious. When the IQ and achievement testing was done at school, he didn't know it was coming, and never (believe it or not) mentioned it to us when it was ongoing or completed! Guess he just thought it was a challenging and fun exercise...a welcomed break from the "usual"!

I am hopeful that some seasoned veterans here might be willing to share suggestions on how best to put your child at ease about testing (?)

My kids accepted the idea that educational testing was a kind of "brain checkup". I explained that a psychologist is a doctor who asks certain questions to find out how people think and learn. I didn't use the word "test".

You can also ask the psychologist for suggestions about how to talk to your DS about testing.