Got school testing results today

[bluedarling]

Well, sort of...the report wasn't ready, so I don't have numbers in hand, but they gave me the gist...that neither of my boys qualifies for LDs!! (Considering my oldest had a prior IEP with disability of written expression, and processing scores in the bottom percentile, I was really surprised!) Apparently, he is now borderline gifted, with processing scores the bottom end of normal range. (She didn't look at the processing/working memory in her evaluation of intellect, and just showed me the results on the graph without specific numbers.) My "dysgraphic" 15yo was able to write more than a page in 10 minutes!! He has NEVER done this for me, but the topic was '3 things about your favorite game/video game.' Apparently, my boys had a lot to say on this topic!! He didn't "finish", but he got enough words to score in the average range. I really thought based on prior testing that he would still qualify for an IEP. They are recommending I see a psychologist to get a formal diagnosis of Aspergers/ADHD for a 504 plan, but based on their testing, there was nothing they could offer. Same with little brother (for whom the results were less surprising. I knew he was smart...didn't know he was gifted, but that's cool.) My oldest spent the entire weekend working on a '200 word description of yourself' for WWS....he could not do it (got 1-2 sentences after 3 days work). They are suggesting it was because of the autistic spectrum making the self-reflection difficult...but it is like that with EVERY writing assignment I have given him!! I am just astounded he could write more than a page in 10 minutes!!

 

They also suggested I read up on giftedness. I should be ecstatic my kids are doing so well! But instead I'm frustrated that they aren't seeing our struggles. Mostly just venting...but could use some encouragement, too.

[Paige]

Who tested them? If it was through the school system, you may want a 2nd opinion if you feel the results are not accurate. My DD was tested "thoroughly" by the school last year and declared to be perfectly normal and that she had no issues. I knew that was wrong. We got a private evaluation and she has a huge discrepancy between the subsets on the test. The psychologist said based on his results alone we could demand an IEP if we decided to put her back in school and in our district it may qualify her for some services even if we continue homeschooling. I'm so glad we didn't just trust the school's report. The private testing validated my feelings as I was starting to think I was crazy. He also gave us some suggestions of what to try with her and I finally understand why she does and says some of the off the wall things that have confused us.

[geodob]

Yes it does sound a school psych, where you are legally entitled to have them pay for an IEE independent educational evaluation if you don't agree with their evaluation.

So you might consider a formal request for this?

[wapiti]

When you get the report, I'd look closely at the subtest scores. You can always get a second opinion on the same scores from a private psych for less than full testing would cost. What is it that you're looking for with an IEP, exactly?

 

I much prefer private testing, personally.

 

In our state, there are no IEP services for students performing at or above grade level (except for speech, which one of my kids gets), so I don't even bother with school testing (except when they offer to test my speech kiddo). We just did some private testing of one of other kids, and his processing speed overall score was just a couple points above the cutoff for SAT accommodations, but looking closer at the subtest scores, one was above average but the other one, coding, was at the 5th percentile. He's only 9, and we are planning to re-test roughly every 3 years. He'll also get a private OT eval, and if the OTs give a diagnosis of SPD, the private psych plans to write a 504 plan, and I feel confident that the PS (a small charter school, where I know the staff pretty well) will give us whatever our psych asks for in a 504.

 

Unfortunately, many places are not willing to do much for twice-exceptional kids (bright with learning issues). It's up to you to see that they get what they need, whatever that may be.

 

I assume your kiddo with the writing issues is typing everything? That's the first step, though unfortunately not the last. We've been referred to an OT who teaches a special typing class for these sorts of kids, which leads to writing, or something... we'll see.

[bluedarling]

Yes, school testing. We couldn't afford private testing, especially considering 3 kids with issues. I was hoping to get another "disorder of written expression". Coding was the lowest score for both boys, so she gave an alternate test that only required check boxes...this helped bring up their "IQ". What I don't quite understand is why that low coding and low processing didn't equate to the "disorder of written expression" this time. I wish I had thought to ask. I'm guessing it was just the increase in the processing scores (which she did explain could be just that over the years he's learned to compensate for it more.) You mention the "cutoff for SAT accommodations"...do you happen to know what that is? I signed their paper saying I was in agreement with the test results. Dumb, I know...I was given the impression there was no room for questioning it, since they weren't even close to qualifying! Our doc said we wouldn't get anything from the school....she was right! I guess I had to try. They did say that if I were to put them in school, based on my observations, they would still notify the teachers to be on the lookout for these issues and report any problems to them quickly...that there was just a lack of evidence for the problems with our homeschooling. They weren't denying their were issues, just denying that the testing could not confirm it. Oy!

 

Yes, they type most of their work (with the added benefit of a spell checker). I require grammar done in cursive (not because they will ever be able to write in cursive, but because its good brain exercise for them.) (Grammar is usually 2-4 sentences....if its longer than that they can do part in print.) My oldest really struggled with typing until he was around 12yo...that's also when his reading took off. I think until then his brain just wasn't ready. He was in a school for dyslexics in 3rd grade, and they taught typing....he failed. They insisted he must learn to type considering his dysgraphia....but it just wasn't going to happen! Anyway, just encouragement for anyone with a younger child struggling with typing...time will help!

[Tokyomarie]

I personally think the elementary school years are too early to teach typing- especially for kids with fine motor/motor planning issues. While it is time consuming, I believe that having a scribe is the best way for a younger dysgraphic student to work on written expression. I didn't begin to teach typing until about 6th grade. Even then, my son took awhile to learn. He doesn't use a truly correct touch-typing form even now, but his typing on a standard keyboard layout is quite fast.

 

Bluedarling, you might consider beginning private testing with just your oldest. He's closer to taking the college entrance tests, plus is getting to a place where you need to start thinking about his future beyond your home.

 

What tests did the school psych do? Usually there is an IQ- and it sounds like he had the WISC-IV- and an achievement test. Did they do the Woodcock Johnson III (WJIII) or the WIAT (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test)? An outside tester would not repeat those tests. To evaluate for Disorder of Written Expression, you would want tests to document both the handwriting and the expressive language aspects of written expression. There are tests of fine motor skill (such as a grooved pegboard test), tests of visual motor integration (such as the Beery Buktenica), tests of speed and legibility of handwriting, and others that can get at the fine motor aspect. Then there are tests of the expressive language. It's helpful to get a measure of oral expressive language to compare against the written expression. Then there are tests for written expression such as the TOWL (Test of Written Language). It sounds like the psych may have done one of those tests, based on the boys being instructed to write from a prompt. It's also possible that this prompt may have been an informal writing assessment, rather than a normed assessment. I had my ds assessed by a SLP who specializes in written language disorders- reading and writing- and she used both a normed writing assessment and an informal prompt.

 

Those would all be tests that could more thoroughly evaluate the written expression difficulties. Since there is some concern about a spectrum disorder or ADHD, there would be other evaluation tools that a neuropsychologist would use to evaluate those possibilities.

 

FWIW, my son also would not have qualified for help through an IEP for disorder of written expression because by the time we were going through the school evaluation, he had been working with an academic therapist for two years and was scoring high enough to make it into the average range for the language aspects of written expression. Because of the signifiant discrepancy between his receptive language (oral language and reading comprehension) and his written expression, he still got the diagnosis, and qualified for 504 accommodations.

[bluedarling]

Aagh. I typed up a response earlier today but lost it. Hate it when that happens.

 

Yes, the school psych did WISC-IV, WIAT, TOWL...not sure what else. Going by memory from the pre-testing meeting. Wish I had the report. For the discrepancy between oral lang/reading comp. and written expression.....what is the written expression score? She never mentioned their written expression score in those words. What concerns me is that Coding was really low (because of the writing task...she even said so) so she gave them a different test (which didn't require writing)...which then they passed. Coding was a 4 or 5 (depending on boy), and the alternate tests an 8, if I remember correctly,....so this to me, indicates writing is a difficulty! You take the writing element away, and their scores increase significantly!

 

I do want to get them to the psychologist our doc recommended...not sure if its a neuropsychologist or not. (Doubtful, but I'm pretty confident its the best available in the area. The doc was going to send us to the children's hospital an hour from here, but they are no longer accepting outside referrals, and she said it wasn't worth it, this person 1/2 hour away was good.) There's no money in the budget, right now...gonna take some creative thinking, but yes, the 15yo is the priority at this point. Their scores are so similar, though, seems like it'd be easier to do them together! They commented how it was odd that boys with such very different personalities could score so similarly!! On paper they seem very similar, but in person...nothing alike. Unfortuntely, I am going to need to prioritize...what started this whole process was actually auditory processing issues with child #3!! She hasn't even been tested. And if my boys came out gifted...I can't imagine how my youngest would test!! (OK...she's low priority...she can "access the curriculum" at home just fine! But...I'm sure curious, now!)

[Tiramisu]

Different people can read different things into the scores. From a public school point of view, because they are dealing with lots of kids with lots of issues, they may lean to the side of not finding an LD if there is any ambiguity. It couldn't hurt to get a second opinion if you're what they are telling you doesn't seem to fit your experience. And that may be easy if you're pursuing the ADHD/Aspergers question. I think you know best what the issues are even if you can't put numbers on them because you've been dealing with the day to day.

 

I had different psychologists look at one set of scores we had. The first, a school psychologist, gave a FSIQ but no GAI. When I researched, I found out we should have got the GAI but not the FSIQ. When the NP glanced at the old scores, she said, "I wouldn't have given an IQ." And I said, "Yes. I think we should have been given a GAI." And she said, "I wouldn't have given a GAI either." Huh? :confused1:

 

FWIW, I think all of mine who spent time in school pumped out more and better writing when in school. Grrr. :glare: