request IEE? help with scores

[michellesd]

Hi all,

I wonder if anyone might have guidance on understanding my son's particular confluence of learning challenges. He's smart, but a quirky learner, and has extreme difficulty organizing thoughts and getting them onto paper. They seem to disappear or are driven away by the physical act of trying to write or type. We are trying to figure out how to help him and are perplexed by his psych-ed results. He is a 5th grader, has an IEP, and is identified as ADD (he is medicated). They still have not given him an overall ability score because his scores are "so varied." We are considering requesting an IEE because the evaluation didn’t give us any sense of the nature of his SLD, just said he qualified as having one.



Any insights would be appreciated. His school staff is supportive but they seem genuinely stumped about how to help him perform at his ability.



Michelle



****Kabc-II*** all scores are %

Short term memory 90

Word order 75

Number recall 91

Visual processing 60

Rover 50

Triangles 75

Fluid reasoning 99.3

Story completion 95

Pattern reasoning 99.6

Long term retrieval 85

Atlantis 99

Rebus 80

Crystallized ability 93

Verbal knowledge 99

Riddles 60

FCI 98



***tvps-3*****

Visual discrimination 99

Visual memory 99.6

Spatial relations 99.6

Form constancy 99.6

Sequential memory 50

Figure ground 99.6

Visual closure 99.6

Overall 98



***VMI-6****

Visual motor integration 37

****Ctopp-2***

Phonological awareness 28

Elision 50

Blending words 12

Phoneme isolation 37

Phonological memory 50

Memory for digits 80

Nonword repetition 12

Rapid symbolic naming 7

Rapid digit naming 9

Rapid letter naming 9



****WJ III-Achv****

Broad Reading 60

Letter word identification 75

Sentence reading fluency 50

passage comprehension 55

Basic reading skills 80

Word attack 80

Reading rate 80

Word reading fluency 20

Broad math 25

Math calculation 10

Calculation 42

Math fluency 6

Applied problems 60

Written language 70

Spelling 40

Sentence writing fluency 25

Writing samples 97

Basic writing skills 45

Editing 60

Written expression 85

Academic skills 50

Academic fluency 25

Academic application 82

Broad achievement 45

[healthy11]

Michellesd, welcome to our forum. Can I ask who diagnosed your son with ADHD, and how old he was at the time? Were any standardized tests given to him at that point? It does seem like you need more information and a basis for comparison, so an IEE does seem warranted.
I'm heading out the door to my "paying job" in a minute, so I can't write much now, but I'll try to come back later tonight. In the interim, you might want to read more about "2e" twice-exceptional students, and some of the resources I've compiled at millermom.proboards.com/thread/9972/twice-exceptional-gifted-adhd-resources

[michellesd]

Thanks for the reply.  He was diagnosed by our pediatrician, at the end of 1st grade.  We started meds in the middle of 2nd.  He usually does pretty well on standardized tests, and has formally evaluated by the school twice as part of the IEP process.  I've looked at your list of resources, very comprehensive!  I've looked at many of them and  will look at any others I haven't seen before.
Any advice appreciated.  
Michelle

[healthy11]

You mention that your son has been evaluated twice as part of the IEP process. Was the initial testing done 3 years ago, with the scores you just posted being very recent? While the younger a child is, the less reliable their test results tend to be, I'm wondering if any of the same tests were used both times, such that you might be able to make comparisons?

I'm not personally familiar with all of the tests that your son was given, but on the Woodcock Johnson Achievement portion, he seems to have consistently low fluency scores, which tend to be indicative of processing speed issues. www.davidsongifted.org/Search-Database/entry/A10782 is a very good article on the topic, and it gives some suggestions for classroom accommodations to help.

For what it's worth, my son is now a 20-something who has graduated from college with an engineering degree, but he was also a "bright, quirky learner" ~ his eventual diagnoses were ADHD (combined type) with LDs of reading and written expression. (aka, dyslexia and dysgraphia) My son also did well on standardized tests, but struggled tremendously with getting his thoughts written down in an organized, intelligent fashion. I remember one of his frustrated teachers, in 3rd or 4th grade, showing me a test with his misspelled 3-word response to what was supposed to be an essay question, and she didn't know what to make of it. She thought he was being intentionally defiant. (He wasn't formally diagnosed with the disorder of written expression at that time.) Anyway, she agreed to have him come in early the next day, to give a verbal answer to the essay question, and she was amazed at the details he provided. It was eye-opening for both her and me to recognize that he HAD the knowledge but it was "trapped inside."

If you don't mind my asking, what state do you live in? I'm hoping that other members might be able to recommend some good IEE evaluators in your area, because I do feel your son's profile is more complex than most school psychologists can properly identify.

[eoffg]

Hi Michelle and welcome to the forum,

Something that particularly stood out to me, were his CTOPP scores for: Rapid Symbolic/ Digit and Letter Naming.
Where perhaps you could do your test with him on these, and see how quick he is?
Which just involves pointing at letters or numbers, which he then names. Maybe using flash cards, which you write letters or numbers on?
As well as getting him to name objects, that you point at.

A difficulty with this, usually carries over to reading and writing. As their is a delay between seeing a word, and recalling the sound of it. Also with writing, recalling the image of a word, as he goes to write it.

Though the images of words, and the sounds of words, are each stored in different parts of our brain.
Where we actually have to develop connections between.
Which get faster, as the connections get stronger. For example, when you look at a letter or number? You probably instantly recall the sound of it.

But by directly practising, naming things, letters and numbers. The speed will continue to increase.
Which if you practised with him daily, for 5 to 10 minutes?
You will notice that he is getting quicker and quicker.
Which will carry over to recalling images of words, as he is writing.

[michellesd]

Thanks for the replies.  Healthy 11 , I'm in San Diego if  you have any recommendations for IEE practitioners.  It's good to hear from other people whose kids sound similar and are doing well.
Michelle

[healthy11]

Unfortunately, I'm near Chicago and don't personally know of anyone in the San Diego area doing IEE's, but look through the resources and services listed at www.cagiftednetwork.com/resources/parents ~ several clinical psychologists indicated that they have special interests in twice exceptional students.
www.sandiegounified.org/schools/hawthorne/overview-6 also talks about 2e children in SDUSD.