Mommyfaithe Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 I have been thinking of having my youngest tested....just so I can accommodate his learning. He is a quirky kid....but really bright. Help me understand the numbers.....and reasons for testing other than school placement. Do you guys mind if I hang around here for a while?? Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nellecv Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Personally, I'm interested in having my daughter tested in another year or so to see if she's actually gifted or just a bright kid with a head start. It would help me plan for the future. If she's just bright with a head start, she should eventually find peers and challenges as she gets older and more options open up. But if she's significantly gifted, we'll probably have to make a stronger effort to keep her challenged and find her peers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy G Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 You are correct in that school placement is a driving factor for many. I had mine tested and I do have some mixed feelings about it. It did give me so guidance for homeschooling. But it cost a ton. Was it totally worth it? I am not completely sure. It gave my kids confidence too, especially one who had a teacher tell him he "wasn't really that smart" when we went in and asked for him to be moved up. If I knew I was going to homeschool I don't know if it would be worth it. Mine work at their own pace anyway. My oldest is at middle school level and has been allowed to take high school AP classes etc through the local school. Interestingly enough they based that on his ACT scores through Numats and pretty much blew off the testing I had done- as though it wasn't legit. (Funny how the scores lined up though!) For my situation taking NUMATS tests helped more with school placement, although we only use the school for a few classes that I just don't feel comfortable teaching. If you have a good feel for strengths and weaknesses I am not sure it will be helpful. Our thought going in was to see how bright they were and use that to decide if school would work (it hadn't for years- you would think we would have figured it out based on experience!) I am not someone who had a strong desire to homeschool and so I guess it took test scores to push me into it! (yes- bad mom compared to those here who approach teaching with a much more positive attitude!!! LOL) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Having been tested for school placement I can tell you that never again have the results been something anyone asked about. So when it came time to decide to have dd tested or not I went with not as she won't be in brick and mortar school until college. I don't mind if you hang around. I'm gate crashing myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennynd Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 DS is going PS next school year. I think they do it at 3rd grade. So I supposed DS will get tested. We didn't before but didn't think I need it. I don't rely on teacher to teach my kids anymore and both my kids are going a good pace. i think it is between 500-1000 to test. just can't spend that kind of money to have people tell me something that I already know, In the other hand, one of my coworker had his kids tested. They are gifted but also have other problem. the older can't tell if people are sarcastic or serious. the younger can't write normal speed but can type. they need to test so they can request the school for extra time testing, ..etc. Both kids graduated from Columbia University, so I supposed it did make a different for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iucounu Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 We tested our older son, and it cost $1000. It seemed useful in getting access to school services, acceleration, etc. but in the end those measures haven't helped as much as we'd hoped anyway, and we are pretty much forced to homeschool next year. The testing got us access to a private services organization too, but that also hasn't been very helpful to us so far. I wish we had that $1000 back to spend on education, museum trips, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 I just went through testing for my two oldest. It has been very helpful in homeschool planning. I will be spending less time on some subjects that I thought were weak for ds and spending more time on subjects where he can really blossom. I also realized that I should up the challenge in some areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 I've chosen to wait on retesting until DD is old enough to do the EXPLORE for talent search. I'm reasonably confident that she's still "gifted" at 7, just like she was "gifted" at 4, and while I can see where eventually some of the summer programs would be helpful as could having the above level information for getting things like early college entry, it looks like talent search testing will eventually open the same doors, at a lower price point. Since DD seems to do pretty well on paper/pencil testing, I'm unwilling to spend $1000 for what I can spend $100 on. And while having the "gifted" label placed on DD was valuable in getting her into PS early (which ended up being not enough) and validating for me as far as feeling able to let her go at her pace and not worry QUITE so much about how accelerated she is, most of the assessment results came down to "She's really smart, and what you're seeing is normal for smart kids, so you should be happy"-which wasn't at ALL helpful in dealing with the intensities and behaviors that caused us to seek testing in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 If you suspect your child is "twice exceptional" (gifted + LD), then testing can shed light on that because the pattern of the various subtests may indicate a specific issue. My youngest is the only one of my 3 that I feel it would probably be worth shelling out thousands of dollars for testing at a place like the Gifted Development Center. My oldest we tested at 4 3/4 when we were trying to figure out our schooling options. We went with a lady who tests for a chi-chi private GATE school so she was familiar with gifted kids but she didn't charge us an arm and a leg like GDC does. We didn't get the kind of lengthy interpretive report that GDC does, but the basic numbers were all we really needed to clarify our decision. DS we weren't planning on having a formal IQ test done but he got the chance to get a free one as part of the GDC extended norms study so he did that. The GDC tester recommended having him take the WISC through them in a year but I don't think the information we'd get would be at all worth the expense. We're planning on having him do an above-level CogAT at home in 2nd and then the EXPLORE in 3rd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted May 9, 2012 Author Share Posted May 9, 2012 Can you tell me more about the different tests, testing sites, whys and wherefores...Hmmmmm....Gifted and LD?? Now my wheels are turning! Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted May 9, 2012 Author Share Posted May 9, 2012 I just went through testing for my two oldest. It has been very helpful in homeschool planning. I will be spending less time on some subjects that I thought were weak for ds and spending more time on subjects where he can really blossom. I also realized that I should up the challenge in some areas. What tests did you use?? What type of advice or information did they give you to decide on curriculum choices, subjects etc.? I have never been so baffled by a little one before!! This kid is so smart....and so resistant to being taught.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 In terms of curriculum planning, the most useful thing I've done is an above-level ITBS. An individual achievement test like the Woodcock-Johnson would presumably be even better since it would tell the exact grade level the child is working at (rather than the parent trying to guess which level of the ITBS to use). However, that would run me at least $500, which isn't in our budget at the current time. The other tests were useful in terms of giving a sense of intellectual potential and also accessing certain programs that require scores. However, in terms of helping me plan curriculum, they aren't all that useful except in giving reassurance that I'm not crazy to attempt a program marked for grade X with a student who is in grade Y. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 What tests did you use?? What type of advice or information did they give you to decide on curriculum choices, subjects etc.? I have never been so baffled by a little one before!! This kid is so smart....and so resistant to being taught.... WISC and the WIAT. I felt sure the examiner would recommend further testing for one child because of some suspected issues, but he saw no issues. It also helped me understand why ds is the way he is. He has a definite strength and I'm making choices to give him more opportunities in his strong areas. If you are puzzled about your child it is probably a good idea to get him tested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 An individual achievement test like the Woodcock-Johnson would presumably be even better since it would tell the exact grade level the child is working at (rather than the parent trying to guess which level of the ITBS to use). However, that would run me at least $500, which isn't in our budget at the current time. That's seriously shocking.... in NC you could get a Woodcock Johnson done for not more than $65-75. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 That's seriously shocking.... in NC you could get a Woodcock Johnson done for not more than $65-75. By a licensed psychologist? A teacher around here can administer the Woodcock Johnson for the prices you stated, but a Neuropsychologist or Clinical Psychologist here will run more along the lines of what Crimson Wife quoted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 By a licensed psychologist? A teacher around here can administer the Woodcock Johnson for the prices you stated, but a Neuropsychologist or Clinical Psychologist here will run more along the lines of what Crimson Wife quoted. A testing company - teachers or retired teachers, generally. But honestly for a Woodcock Johnson alone I don't think I need a psychologist. We had a psychologist for the WISC, and that was worth the money (still not $500!), but even he didn't think we needed him to do the Woodcock Johnson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 If you suspect your child is "twice exceptional" (gifted + LD), then testing can shed light on that because the pattern of the various subtests may indicate a specific issue. The other tests were useful in terms of giving a sense of intellectual potential and also accessing certain programs that require scores. However, in terms of helping me plan curriculum, they aren't all that useful except in giving reassurance that I'm not crazy to attempt a program marked for grade X with a student who is in grade Y. These are the reasons we tested ds. His LDs were masking his abilities and I never would have placed him correctly, either in educational programming/classes or in curriculum. His discrepancies were 60+ between achievement and ability and a severe discrepancy is considered 20+ points. This means I was off by multiple grade levels!! I never would have figured that out on my own and even though the testing was crazy expensive, we feel it was some of the best money we have ever spent. It will change ds's entire educational trajectory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 A testing company - teachers or retired teachers, generally. But honestly for a Woodcock Johnson alone I don't think I need a psychologist. We had a psychologist for the WISC, and that was worth the money (still not $500!), but even he didn't think we needed him to do the Woodcock Johnson. You're mostly paying for the psychologist write-up for that price. Those reports take forever for them to write, which = $$. I think the only time it makes sense for a psychologist to give it is when you are discrepancy testing, but I do think there is a place for it for some kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 What tests did you use?? What type of advice or information did they give you to decide on curriculum choices, subjects etc.? I have never been so baffled by a little one before!! This kid is so smart....and so resistant to being taught.... For what it's worth... We used the WISC4 administered at a local university by an intern who has just been promoted to full time researcher. She did not provide us an interpretation and I didn't expect one because it was already the cheapest way to test where we live and I went in with low expectations. I had done some homework beforehand so when I received the results, the string of 17-19s on the subtests told me I needed to investigate more (look into extended norm scoring). Luckily, I had requested both raw and scaled scores before he was tested. I did my own legwork trying to find someone to interpret it and calculate the possibly extended scores and finally a licensed psychologist agreed to do it for a fair price. His scores were bumped up another 10-ish points. She said among other things, quoting verbatim: "provide him challenging materials at whatever speed he is able to master them." I was already homeschooling for 3-4 years and have significant local gifted support if I need it and so the lack of interpretation and advice on curriculum was not a problem for me. We had no other reason to test other than trying to figure out his perplexing ability to skip several grades levels in certain math topics in just one week, sometimes less, and why it was so frustrating earlier to decide on materials and then have him blow through them so quickly. The results helped validate the decision to accelerate as much as our child wanted us to. And altogether cost us under $200. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slackermom Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 (edited) Help me understand the numbers.....and reasons for testing other than school placement. DD and I participated in a study at a research hospital, so we did not pay. Among other things, the researchers were trying to determine if there is a correllation between ADHD and scores on various tests. I wanted to help the hospital, which has helped me quite a bit over the years, and I was curious, and I could never have afforded all of the tests the psychologists administered. I have never mentioned the tests to anyone at DD's school. The public schools here wouldn't be interested in the results. If I want to enroll her at a private gifted school at some point, I would need to provide the scores as part of her admission application. But since I can't even afford testing, I certainly can't afford the gifted school. Edited May 9, 2012 by slackermom correction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 By a licensed psychologist? A teacher around here can administer the Woodcock Johnson for the prices you stated, but a Neuropsychologist or Clinical Psychologist here will run more along the lines of what Crimson Wife quoted. I don't believe California allows anyone other than licensed psychologists to administer this kind of testing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 I don't believe California allows anyone other than licensed psychologists to administer this kind of testing. I would think it would be up to the publisher. It really is just an achievement test, and for that much you could very nearly fly to NC and have it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runningmom80 Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 My DS has done two, both for admissions to schools, (of course one wanted wppsi, one wanted SB-v.) we are in a low COL area, and payed roughly $200 each. I will have my son retested eventually, to rule out or diagnose ADHD or Aspergers. If we weren't deali with those issues, I wouldn't do it again, mostly because I don't want him to go through ore testing than he needs to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 If you suspect your child is "twice exceptional" (gifted + LD), then testing can shed light on that because the pattern of the various subtests may indicate a specific issue. planning on having him do an above-level CogAT at home in 2nd and then the EXPLORE in 3rd. :iagree: At different ages, IQ and LDs can mask each other in peculiar ways. Had my son not been thoroughly tested, I would have missed a lot, even working with him at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitascool Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 For us it was Twice Exceptional concerns with both our older two. Our Ins. covered the costs of all their testing. My oldest son was tested by a psychologist with a gifted specialty at 7 years old. We suspected that he was Twice Exceptional because he struggled greatly in math and was reading at a 12+ grade level. We were perplexed with a child who could read and understand Plato, but cried when presented with a math problem of 2+4. The psychologist was able to stir us in the right direction with the types of resources that would help him best. He took the WISCV and Woodcock Johnson. My second son was also tested by a different psychologist at 6 years. We also suspected Twice Exceptionality. Teaching him was/is very difficult. Yet he was very bright with things he wanted to know. We had a battery of tests done for him only one being an IQ test. He took the ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview- Revised), Vineland-II Adaptive Behavior Scale II), SB5 (Stanford Benet Intelligence Scale), Bracken Basic Concept Scale, and SRC (School Readiness Composite). We then took him to an Occupational Therapist who gave him sensory testing for Sensory Processing Disorder. He actually did very poorly on most of the tests and the IQ test showed him as average/below average intelligence. He is being retested in a few weeks to see where he is now after 4 years of therapy. I'm beginning to see some ADD behaviors in my 7 year old who is accelerated in reading and math. I am considering having him tested too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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