Positive Evaluation

[artana]

Hi!
easy child's evaluation shows he's mildly ADHD, but with his grades being so good and his behavior plan working, they do not feel he needs an IEP. They are not discounting a 504? yet. His IQ tested high enough that it gave me fodder to ask for pre-testing for him and further work he could do when he finished his classroom work. Overall, it was a relief to hear people saying positive things about my son.

 

[house of cards]

Sounds like pretty good news. 1 difficult child is enough per a family LOL, but if things should change... at least you have the experience. It sounds like you know what to watch for and the school works with you well, if not, the sp ed forum is very helpful.

 

[artana]

Thank you Kathie. Yes, one keeps me occupied. But, at least I have that evaluation that says he is ADHD, so if something starts to slide, I can point and say that we have a diagnosis and maybe he needs the extra support after all.

 

[KTMom91]

I was fortunate that I didn't need to have an IEP or 504 for Miss KT. I agree that, if things do start to go downhill, you can then ask for any needed interventions. It's always so nice to hear good things!

 

[Andy]

Congratulations on the positive report. Yes, it certainly is good to hear good things about our children. Especially from the school. It is good to have teachers who will work with you.

 

[Marguerite]

That's lovely, to hear such good things about your son.

The high IQ score is good too - I note you suspect possible Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). In Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), they don't always score as well as they should. But the subscores can show you any areas of concern.

As he gets older, especially if there is Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), it's highly likely his IQ score will drop. That doesn't mean he has lost intelligence, it's just showing the limitations of IQ testing.

The most important measure of his intelligence, is what you observe him to be. IQ tests were not developed on "problem" kids. They were developed on what was "normal" back in those days, and chances are it didn't include kids who were square pegs in round holes. If a kid was outside the system for whatever reason, chances are their quirks and range of abilities were not included in the original data.

It's difficult to get a false high result in an IQ test (unless you've had a chance to 'study' for it by being over-tested). But it's very possible to get a false low reading. So take heart - your son is doing well.

Marg

 

[artana]

Thank you all.

Marg - This is easy child, my youngest. My difficult child has been evaluated as mildly autistic and gifted by the school and has an IEP, he's 7. I was worried my youngest, DS6, had ADHD, which was validated by the report. I was just happy that they think his ADHD can be controlled with behavior sheets. I had steeled myself for being told to use drugs.

 

[compassion]

HI, My son is gifted with ADHD. He is now 18 and a simohmore in college and does and willl contnue to recive accomodations. It is important to have a history of documentation. He was first assessed at age 10. He was able to take college boards over multiple days. This helped his focus. He recived a 34 out of possible 36 in ACT reading. He has an academic schlorship. By the way, he hasnever beed medicated. Compassion

 

[TerryJ2]

That's great news.
My little sister, who majored in education, gave me a good idea ... 8 yrs too late, LOL! She said that to teach her son the alphabet, and later, to read, she pasted letters all over the house and had him run from spot to spot and shout out the letters to her. It kept him moving and taught him, too. She said he just couldn't sit still to learn phonics.
Funny, that when I look back on it, my difficult child learned phonics a bit later than my easy child, but was still on grade level. We bought a battery operated toy where you could insert cardboard pictures with-letter sounds, and touch the corresponding letter on the colorful keyboard below, and if you got it right, it would say the letter aloud. difficult child had a hard time making the letters and picture/sounds correspond, but it gave him something to play with and I didn't have to go room to room like my sister did.
He also learned phonics in school.

Anyway, good news for you! No medications.

 

[Ropefree]

Artana, My son was doing well in school. He also tested well...over 90%..to 142 in IQ.
It wasn't until a caring principle redid the testing and assessed that he DID ualify for IEP and the area he needed the help was writing.
Essentially the learning challenge that adhd presents is minimized especiallly in boys as the kenetic nature of boys is "normal". Being adhd is not a type of condition that will limit a child to learn...so a school can slide on doing the things that will serve the adhd child to learn those things specificly hendering them from their potential.
It is not about wether or not they are "in normal ranges" it is everything to do with is this what that child needs to do their best. And this is the struggle I as a parent have faced.
it is not helpful for a child who does learn well to be both labeled and neglected.
It has the effect of giving teachers an excuse to admire "the problem" and not to do what this learner, a tiny % of the students they will teach in their careers, specifically and uniquicly requires to be taught appropriately for their best life.

In effect the adhd child who learns fast is both diagnosis'd and then told they do not need IEP services, or that they do not 'have' iep services for him. Instead the teacher focal issue is behavior for her convience in classrooms. and this piece is important.
It is just not the big picture and the sooner the fast learner has the supports in whatever area to stay enriched and moving at their pace the happier the learning time will be.
On the social side, behavior, and adhd learner may need social support as the impulsivity may interfer with awareness of how the impact others.
For self esteem the fact that as with any differance an adhd will 'have issues' with peers. Self acceptance is important.
At home having a structure for doing things that breaks up sitting and consintration and moving around will also help set a pattern for doing work as time goes by.
running and learning are the BEST combination for adhd. A stationary bike and the phonics might work too.
Read to your children until your can not go on another second. REad anything...read regularly and at differant times of the day. Read to them for hours after they are reading for themselves. As my son began to read he did not want me to know as he did not want me to stop reading to him. His perfered reward for his point chart was to be able to have me read to him when and where he liked.