Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy New DYS form

I've been working on the DYS application for last few days and just realized that Davidson has published a new application form. I wanted to let you know (and hopefully safe you some work) in case you plan to apply in the near future.

The 2008 form is different from the 2007 form. It no longer includes the milestone section where you need to write down the age of certain milestones. That sure makes my life easier. I am glad I won't have to go through old videos and e-mails trying to figure out when DS5 could read the clock or wrote/type his first words. I noticed a few other small changes on the first page and a missing Characteristics section. Either way it looks like I will be starting with an empty form again but at least I have something to copy and paste.

Anybody else thinks about applying in January?


LMom

They've amended the form slightly over the years, but this sounds like the biggest change yet. I'll have to go check it out! I already had the milestone form started for dd who is two. It looks like I can toss it.

Thanks for the heads up, Lmom, and good luck with your son's app!

Happy New Year Lorel - Don't toss that Milestone chart, you never know if you'll need it for Ruf Estimated Giftedness levels. ((Humor Alert - I know you aren't as enchanted as I))
Big Smiles,
Grinity

Ok, Trin, I will risk the stone throwing and say that I don't quite agree with her levels. It's nice to have a different paradigm to work with, but I feel the "sorting hat" isn't quite right, KWIM?

DD two seems to be her own person, but I can clearly see she is in the same ballpark as her sibs. She might not have any 2e issues, either, which would be novel.

Happy New Year, dear Trinity, and thanks for all that you do!

I'm glad you are throwing Lorel, because if we each pipe up with our own actaul experiences, then we have a better chance of finding the truth. I will say that the Ruf Milestones Chart don't seem to help 2E kids much in general. I will also say that my son wasn't reading till the middle of 1st grade, and I can't remember most of his other milestones because I wasn't thinking in that direction. What I love about Ruf's estimated levels of giftedness is that it helps me think about LOG.

Also, I think that any "IQ test" be in WISC or Milestones, establishes a floor, not a limit. Sure there can be a single high test that just doesn't show up in daily life, but for the most part, parents of small children what to be assured that they aren't making this whole thing up. I sure did when I was freaking out that DS wasn't reading at 4 when he knew the whole alphabet at 2. EVeryone else thought I was off my rocker! So - the official Grinity take is that if you child is fitting the profile of a Level III, IV, or V they are, and if they are not fitting the profile but you think that they are HG or PG, they the child just needs a different 'test.' In the end, Gifted is as Gifted does, and a child that is thriving in a learning environment that is designed for ND kids who are 3 or more years older, well, yes, you've got a HG or PG kid. In the very end, if the child can be taught at their readiness level, and the family can stay sane, do we really need any label at all?

Smiles,
Grinity

Does anyone know of research to support the idea that early development of walking, puzzles, speech, etc. is associated with GT levels later in life?


I don't know how to move this quote in the cool little box.

I read something about this very topic quite recently. Unfortunately, I read a lot of books, journals, and online stuff, and cannot recall the source. I will see what I can find and hope to share it soon.

Anecdotally, in my family, we have a late walker who has hypotonia and didn't walk independently until 15 months. We also have three who were walking well months before their first birthday, the earliest at seven months. She is diagnosed hyperactive, and there are sources that cite early walking as a very common attribute of kids later diagnosed as hyperactive.

{She holds her own in the GT class, but doesn't need it, necessarily.}

Could this have more to do with personality?

Incog

Unfortunately, I do believe that WMI has a significant effect on how one does in a traditional school setting. Being able to memorize those facts and regurgitate them is what the teachers are looking for, it's how a lot of the tests are set up so the teacher can make sure the student is learning the info. I can see how a super smart kid with not a super high WMI might get frustrated sometimes.
I was frustrated with that myself. I didn't really come into my own until the upper level college levels. That's when they were really asking to see what you could do with the information as opposed to how you memorize it.
FYI, I felt stupid when I was your daughter's age and when the principal told me of my IQ report, I actually thought he was lying.
On the other hand, by the time I got to college, I had several professors who really took me under their wings and it made all the difference in the world. I'm glad your daughter has a great GT teacher!

Incog

Good point about the WMI, Incog! I think that's a very smart comment.

I see what you are saying. Did I get this wrong, but I thought I read a while ago she had a pretty impressive PRI and ability? And I'll tell you something else, none of these tests capture creative ability as far as I'm concerned.
Those two things are a pretty powerful combo, especially when you are talking real life scenario, ie: how well one operates in career, etc.
As for VCI, DD7 going on 13, is much like your daughter. I absolutely know what her abilities are, but here's a typical conversation:
Me: How was school?
DD7: good
Me: What did you do today?
DD7: good
Me: Your zipper is down.
DD7: good.
And this is starting to spill over to school. When she is working below her ability level, she has taken to given the answer in exactly as few words as humanly possible. I think she gives herself bonus points for answering in one word sentences.

I feel like I have to balance sticking up for her at school, with not letting her off the hook. I'm not sure sure a snotty one word answer at school is acceptable, even if it is technically correct. If anyone has come up with an effective way to handle that, I'd really love to hear what it is!!!

Incog
p.s. This is kinda bold so please take with a grain of salt. Perhaps her IQ is not an overestimate. Maybe it is actually in line but for some reason it's not as applicable in the school setting. So, the proof of it is not as evident. I was told siblings are usually not more than 10 IQ points apart. Additionally, I read somewhere that up to 20% of high school dropouts are GIFTED. If that's an accurate number, it tells a signifcant story in my opinion. Oh well, just pondering....