Thank you! I went through something similar with DD7 when she was 4. I had read a little about Aspergers and thought she may need to be tested. In the end I didn't feel quite right about it and didn't pursue it. I just found some of Darold Treffert's writing this week. I have a book on hold at the library and have been fascinated to read a few articles online. I also had that "aha" moment. I think DD7 fits the description of Hyperlexia III very well. This is one of the reasons I have waited so long to pursue testing with DS5. I have seen the improvement that DD7 has made over the past three years and have thought that DD5 will do the same. In the end, I decided that DS5's symptoms are too severe not to be evaluated.

I'm so grateful for people who have BTDT here on these boards. Thank you!!! I love reading case studies so I will be looking into these books.

:party:

Thank you!! This is the best article I have read on the topic. I have searched around the internet with little success. It has been such a roller coaster ride for me trying to understand my son with his unique talents and challenges.

I would talk to the teacher about it. I gave citizenship grades when I taught school and I did not give out N's lightly. I always factored in issues like ADHD when considering it. They may have a different approach but it seems like something should have been mentioned to you before hand.

This is what I was thinking, too.

DS5 will be evaluated for ASD in two weeks. In preparation, I have checked out a few books from the library about ASD and have read a bit about savant syndrome as it is associated with ASD. I feel like my son fits this description in many ways. He can calculate random future/past dates on the calendar and has an uncanny ability to manipulate numbers and make calculations. This goes way beyond being able to do math a few years above grade level. DS is not, however, "Rain Man" as is portrayed in the movie. From the little reading I have done, it seems like savant syndrome may be a spectrum. I realize that it is crazy to think that my son is a savant and I would never dream of saying it IRL. I thought it would be best to think things through here. A couple of questions: 1. Where do you draw the line between savant and profoundly gifted? Or are they two entirely different things? 2. Should I bring this up with the nueropsych? I'm afraid if I use the word "savant," she will laugh at me.

I'm lazy, I just add it in. I don't want to dirty another pan or take an extra 3 minutes of my time. My recipes turn out well enough with fresh spinach.

I'd do stock, not gravy. I think the only problem would be if it sat all day long on too high of a setting. Maybe heat the stock in a pan or microwave and pour it hot over the cold turkey in the crock pot? That would reduce the time it has to sit in the crock pot reheating.

Anything that can be done on Monday or Tuesday, I do it, even if it is only partial. Any prep done in advance makes things go so much more smoothly. I'm doing rolls today. I have had success with making my rolls and then putting them in the freezer before the final rise. This means I just need to pull them out first thing in the morning on Thursday and pop in the oven a few minutes before eating. Tomorrow I am doing sweet potato casserole, stuffing, and stew for Wednesday night. Wednesday morning I put the stew in the crock pot and then get to work on Thanksgiving food. I cube potatoes and put them in salt water to soak overnight in the fridge. I brine the turkey, and cut all vegetables. I make and bake all the pies except the apple. I leave the apple made but unbaked. I bake it first thing in the morning on Thursday and we eat it for breakfast. All final preparations happen on Thursday. Nothing is started from scratch on Thursday.

I consider myself very average. Just as you describe here. My husband and kids are not. As I'm becoming more familiar with the world they live in, I see how difficult and complex it can be. I never would have guessed. All through school, I lived with the belief that smart people had it easy. Boy was I wrong.

I love that homeschooling gives me this opportunity! Homeschooling rocks! :001_cool:

"Gifted denial." I have never thought of it that way but it describes my feelings well.

This is what I do and I think keeping it simple is fine. In addition to keeping a simple year outline, I type up a year-end reflection. (I've only done this twice so I'm no expert.) I start with language arts and type up a summary of everything we did for grammar, writing, reading, etc. I include any reflection on what was effective, what I would have done differently, and what I plan to do next year as a result. I set general goals for the new school year. I then do the same for math, history, science, and any extras. It doesn't have to be lengthy or elaborate. I've gone back and re-read my reflections many times. It is also a bit of a journal for my daughter to have when she is older so she knows the work she accomplished.

The rash does look better this morning, btw.

Thank you for all of the great responses! There are so many things I hadn't even thought of or considered. I really have my work cut out for me with this kid. I've really just been shooting from the hip trying to help him through problematic behavior. I see I have so much to learn.

Yes! This is what I was getting at.

Sounds like we do have a lot in common.

It shows 5.99 shipping for me. :thumbdown:

DS5 is scheduled for an ASD evaluation in 3 weeks so we don't have an official diagnosis but I feel I will be able to get help here anyway. One of DS's repetitive behaviors is putting his fingers in his mouth. It usually isn't too sever and I haven't really worked with him on correcting this behavior yet. (We're still working on wearing clothes.) With the cold, dry weather lately, he has formed a bad rash around his mouth. It is really chapped and red. I tried putting chapstick on tonight and he cried for 5 minutes because it hurt. Question #1, how do I stop him from putting his fingers in his mouth? Question #2, how can I relieve the pain from the rash? TIA!

Thank you everyone for the heads up! I'll be ordering today. I prefer to buy online since we don't live close to any stores except Kroger. I checked Kmart and it is $22.98 with shipping. That seems to be the best online option I can see. I've checked also checked Walmart, Target, Disney, and Kohl's. Any other ideas of where to look online?

This is the first year I have had a child that really wants a popular toy for Christmas. Can any seasoned shoppers help me out here? DD really wants an Elsa doll this year. Several weeks ago we searched on Amazon and found one made by Mattel for $14.99 that she liked. It looks similar to a barbie. I added it to our wishlist and decided I would purchase it at the end of the month when we get our Christmas bonus money. I logged on today and it shows that the item is out of stock. I looked around a few other websites and it looks like there aren't many Elsa dolls available. Is this one of those *HOT* toys that every little girl wants that will be completely sold out before Christmas? Am I already too late?

I think this has been my problem.

First off, we live in a very well educated community with decent pubic schools. We have full day Kindergarten and red shirting is expected for young 5 year olds. I was recently in a conversation with a bunch of moms during DD's dance class. One mom pulls her DD out half day for kindergarten and does math (which is usually taught in the afternoon) at home with her. Another mom is a volunteer in the afternoons during math time in the same class. The volunteer mom was telling everyone about how she was asked by the teacher to do an informal assessment of each of the children. The children were supposed to count as high as possible. At this point in the conversation I thought, "Wow! That would take forever to assess 26 children." DS5 once counted all the days on a calendar (365) and I'm sure he could go higher if he had the motivation. I realize he is very advanced at math but even my 1 year old can count to 20. Apparently, according to the mom who did the assessment, most children in the class were able to count to 29. One child only made it to 13, a few only made it to 20, and one made it to 39. I about died when she told us that! I did what I could to disguise my shock. The mom who pulls her daughter out half day said, "Good! DD can count to 29 so I know we are right on track." I realized I that I am living in a bubble with my children. Obviously I have NO CLUE what is normal academic development for young children. Anyone else feel this way sometimes?

We just bought this one last week for our brand new table that we want to keep nice: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/hotel-deluxe-vinyl-table-pad/129072?Keyword=vinyl+tablecloth I bought the 70 square size assuming it would only cover the top of the table but it spills over just like a regular table cloth. I think it looks nice enough to use on its own for day to day stuff and is easy to wipe clean. I also bought a microfiber tablecloth for nicer occasions: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/bardwil-linens-origins-microfiber-tablecloth/3170231