Submitted a parent referral

[Anonymous]

Ok thanks. I’ve heard recommendations for Dr. Dahlgren in Fairfax. Anyone use her? How much can we expect to pay for a WISC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a long shot but I went ahead and submitted a parent referral for my son. He exhibits several characteristics of giftedness, but also has sensory integration disorder. He’s currently on a 504. I submitted the 504 with the referral. His verbal and quantitative CoGAT scores were mediocre; his nonverbal was the best. His iready test in reading was mostly on grade level, but he did score above grade level in comprehension. I’m surprised by his low verbal score. My hunch is he may be twice exceptional. Should I plan to get a WISC? Do we have any shot at all?

I think that, given that you have all these questions about his abilities, diagnosis and potential, you should get a full eval, which will include the WISC, from someone who is good at teasing out kids who are complex. If the WISC supports the idea of AAP placement, then go ahead and submit it. The psychologist should be willing to give you a page with just test results that you can attach to an appeal, although of course you'll probably want to share the entire report with the school.

If you have a kid who you suspect has repeatedly not tested up below their potential, then I wouldn't have the test done at a university, I'd want someone with a lot of experience with special needs kids and a good reputation.

[Anonymous]

OP, you will pay a lot but PP is right that it sounds like the GMU testing (which would be the cheapest at $400) may not meet all your needs here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you will pay a lot but PP is right that it sounds like the GMU testing (which would be the cheapest at $400) may not meet all your needs here.

PP who you're referring to. It's not just that you might not get the best results but you could easily end up with something in his permanent record that isn't accurate.

[Anonymous]

Any thoughts on Dr. Dahlgren of Fairfax? I've seen her name mentioned here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any thoughts on Dr. Dahlgren of Fairfax? I've seen her name mentioned here.

I remember a post about her. She always seems in a hurry and sometimes finds other issues and recommends a more comprehensive testing.

I’m going to try GMU if I need to for appeals.

[Anonymous]

We used Dr. Jennifer Shore, a licensed psychologist in Fairfax. She is outstanding. We had a WISC done and also testing for possible ADD. Our insurance actually covered it, so it was only $50 total ($25 Co pay for each visit).

[Anonymous]

Thanks! Can I ask, what was it about her that made you think she was outstanding? Do most insurances cover this kind of testing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't matter what the actual numbers are - they are low enough that he didn't make the pool and seem to be lower than most on this board. Most likely he will be rejected.

So I will be getting the WISC. Any recommendations for a private psych?

Why are you pushing so hard for this? It doesn’t sound like AAP is the right program for your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't matter what the actual numbers are - they are low enough that he didn't make the pool and seem to be lower than most on this board. Most likely he will be rejected.

So I will be getting the WISC. Any recommendations for a private psych?

Why are you pushing so hard for this? It doesn’t sound like AAP is the right program for your child.

+1 and Seems you are focused more on your wish than his.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't matter what the actual numbers are - they are low enough that he didn't make the pool and seem to be lower than most on this board. Most likely he will be rejected.

So I will be getting the WISC. Any recommendations for a private psych?

Why are you pushing so hard for this? It doesn’t sound like AAP is the right program for your child.

+1 and Seems you are focused more on your wish than his.

Ding! Ding! Ding!
This entire forum needs a dose of Xanax. Your 7 year old kid will really be just fine if they don’t get into AAP. The entire program should be dismantled.

[Anonymous]

I don’t see simply getting a WISC as pushing hard for this. I think it’ll give me more information on him, especially bc I think he may be twice exceptional. I also have a hunch he is brighter than the CoGAT scores show.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see simply getting a WISC as pushing hard for this. I think it’ll give me more information on him, especially bc I think he may be twice exceptional. I also have a hunch he is brighter than the CoGAT scores show.

No harm in finding out. But I am going to say this as gently as I can: raise the child you have, not the child you want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't matter what the actual numbers are - they are low enough that he didn't make the pool and seem to be lower than most on this board. Most likely he will be rejected.

So I will be getting the WISC. Any recommendations for a private psych?

Why are you pushing so hard for this? It doesn’t sound like AAP is the right program for your child.

I'm not the post you quoted, but how can you draw such conclusion? There is a reason why the process is holistic, so things that aren't picked up by the test are brought up by the rest of the evaluation. Even if this mother is wrong, and her kid is not AAP material, you can't just determine that through a post in a forum. That what the committee is for.

I hope she finds the right psychologist, and finds the answers she's looking for.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, with the way things are now in gen ed, I don’t think he would be fine. The poor teacher has to teach to the lowest common denominator and a bright kid will be bored as hell. I would prefer him to be in AAP. In my opinion, he would fit in better there.