Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment SB-V for a preschooler/re-test??

I've been lurking for a while but really need some advice about how to proceed:

I have DS4 (DOB: 01/05). He has been demonstrating high-potential/giftedness from early infancy. We have other HG and PG in the extended family too.

In lengthy attempts to find appropriate schooling for him, we had him tested by a private psychologist in November of 2008 (he was 3.9 yrs old). The test scores have definitely added credibility to our observations and are helping us on the academic search but . . .

The psychologist didn't feel like the scores were entirely representative of his ability because of his age (i.e. his non-verbal scores are very low because he was easily distracted) ((I�ve listed the scores below)) As his parents, we agree.

For many of the programs that I am looking at, his current test scores do not meet the minimum qualifications for admittance. (his low non-verbal scores disqualify him)

I'm having issues interpreting the SB-V scores. Ultimately, I guess I�m just not sure where he really falls on the curve. The terms �moderately gifted,� �highly gifted� and �profoundly gifted� used in the literature but these classifications don�t seem to clearly fit the test scores generated on the SB-V. Also, I keep seeing �old� IQ scores as a basis but don�t know how these relate to the scores used today.

My questions are as follows:

1. Where does he "fall on the curve?" I've never seen another child like him (but, obviously, I'm biased). I need to make sure I'm looking at the right programs.

2. Should we re-test and hope for better NV scores when he is a bit older and more mature? Any recommendations as to when to restest?

3. Our physiologist is now administering the SB-IV instead of the SB-V because they didn�t �like the results we were getting.� Thoughts?

Here are his scores:
Age: 3.9
SB-V

FSIQ: 128 (97)

NVIQ: 115 (84)
NV FR: 11 (63)
NV KN: 11 (63)
NV QR: 15 (95)
NV VS: 9 (37)
NV WM: 10 (50)

VIQ: 139 (99.5)
V FR: 16 (98)
V KN: 16 (98)
V QR: 15 (95)
V VS: 15 (95)
V WM: 19 (99.7)

Index FR: 121 (92)
Index KN: 120 (91)
Index QR: 133 (99)
Index VS: 117 (87)
Index WM: 132 (98)

WRAT-4 (based on 5yr old norms)
Reading SS 137 (99)

Bracken Total: SS 150 (>99.9)

Thanks for reading this far! I know I was verbose!!

I didn't think the Stanford Binet tests were used until the child was 6 years old. That might be part of the problem. I'm sure Dottie or someone will chime in but this has been discussed previously on other threads. The WRAT might be more indicative of his ability without an IQ test appropriate to his age at the time it was given.

We were advised to wait until our kids were six and could take the WISC or SB then.

I'm no testing guru so I can't even begin to digest those scores. However, my DS took the SB-V at 5 years 4 months old (last summer).

I believe the standard deviation on the SB-V is 15. So a child with a FSIQ would be nearly 2 standard deviations above the 100 average. Our tester gave us a printout of this page to explain the levels and just how "out there" our DS was. I'm not entirely sure how accurate it is but it seemed to fit him.
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/highly_profoundly.htm

Thank you all for your help thus far!!

Just for a bit more clarification- we were originally trying for early entrance into K for DS but state law prohibits him from beginning at 4.5 yrs. . . . Despite the fact that he reads at a 3rd grade level and is doing 2nd grade + math.

Based on state law, we cannot enter a public school for K until the fall of 2010. In 2010, we are hoping he'll qualify for a self-contained gifted program so he won't have to sit there while his K classmates learn the alphabet. I know this is a familiar issue for many on these boards.

Nevertheless, due to the huge disparity between his verbal and non-verbal scores, his overall numbers are too low to qualify for good programs in our area.

For now, I guess we'll just take the "gift of time."