Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Test Accuracy/Implications

I also just wanted to add that in the four different preschools my kids attended over the years, learning to write their first name only was a skill learned throughout the entire first year of preschool. Learning to write their last name was done during the second half of the second year of preschool. And kindergarten always spent a great deal of time working to teach kids to write their first and last names during the first several months of school. So, your DS doesn't sound far off, eventhough it is frustrating to him. But again, I know this is a tangent since you were primarily asking about how to document his abilities without his fine motor skills skewing his results.

Were the motor skills assessments done recently (i.e., was he almost 5 when it was done)? I ask because some of that stuff does seem to me to be pretty behind for an older 4 year old if he has had significant interest/exposure/opportunity. DD has had a number of gross/fine motor skills that she is behind in because of a lack of interest, which doesn't worry me at all, but it sounds like that is not the issue with your son. If, for example, he is trying and practicing and wanting to be able to jump from a short height without falling, but cannot do it, it seems to me that there is very likely a physical issue to blame.

Wrt the handwriting, I am inclined to think that being frustrated by an inability to write is more or less just a gifted preschooler thing, and not necessarily indicative of a problem. It's just so common that the desire to write comes before the ability to write in our kids.

It seems to me that you've already got some solid indication that he's going to need more than a standard K curriculum. How much more is something you don't know, and probably something you can't know. You could try out a math placement test (e.g., Singapore), at home if you want. It won't help with school advocacy, but it might give you a better idea of where he's at right now.

Thank you so much for all of the responses. It is good to hear feedback from other parents with similar experiences. X�s dad had to sign yet another �injury report� when he picked X up from school today. This time it seems X ran into a door. As usual, he is fine, so it is sort of funny, but not really. So, um yes, we didn't want to drone on about the problems, but he really does seem to have some ballance/coordination stuff going on. Are we pathologizing? Probably, but he is our kid, so we tend to think about him a fair amount. On a purely positive note, we are meeting on Thursday with the school special ed/student coordinator person, who has been encouraging throughout this process. She also wants to figure out X�s actual math level and feels confident we can create a curriculum for him. We are going to let her optimism buoy ours for now. It really would be great if they could pull this off and keep him with the same group of kids for a few years while still enhancing his options to fit his needs. We�ll check the board again before we go to the meeting, so if anyone else has other ideas we should mention regarding a good oral math test or protocol she could follow, we would be grateful. We will pass along the suggestions about the SB-5 and Singapore. Thanks again.

I just wanted to clarify that I didn't think that you were pathologizing, more that the PT/OT who did the evaluation seemed as if she were overstatinbg the significance of his delays in large and small motor skills. To me, the report you quoted seemed a bit alarmist and your DS's coordination didn't seem so different than normal. Which is not to say that you shouldn't be interested and possibly concerned. I totally get that you care about your son and are in tune with him and are just wanting to make sure that you don't ignore a skill set that needs to be worked on. I know I have certainly noticed things that I thought weren't quite right in my kids and I did my darndest to learn about the situation and make whatever changes were necessary. You're just being good parents. Sorry that I didn't say that clearly before.

I'm glad to hear that the school special ed/student coordinator is working with you and is so encouraging! There's nothing better than talking with someone who really wants to try to understand your child and give them the right situation! I hope you are able to get a more accurate assessment of his math skills and get him what he needs.

Oh, dear. No, it is us, not you. We are trying hard not to worry too much. He is our eldest, so everything is new with him. We are in one of those �sports� towns, so yes, the school has noticed he is wobbly and accident prone. Motor delays would be a simple answer in some ways (the school is set up to deal with that). We are left with concerns about his vision and equilibrium. We are not jocks, but we are reasonably coordinated and outdoorsy, so he hasn�t lacked for opportunities to develop balance and such. Watching him try to bring a fork full of food to his mouth is like watching someone fail a sobriety test.