Emotional disability and highly gifted, age 6...what next?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is GTLD placement in MCPS. I can't remember if you mentioned which school system you are in. But, with that IQ, I would look into that. I'm not sure what grade it starts in.

No way would they take a kid with behaviors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is GTLD placement in MCPS. I can't remember if you mentioned which school system you are in. But, with that IQ, I would look into that. I'm not sure what grade it starts in.

No way would they take a kid with behaviors.

Most programs will not take kids with behaviors including the social skills programs and schools mentioned upthread. Unfortunately, behaviors are the third rail even for SNs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here...nutshell history is,

- issues started on and off in a private prek. We did childfind eval and they naturally said all was wonderful. By Feb. 2016 we were on verge of being kicked out and we called childfind again and they agreed to revisit, came out and observed her 4/2016, then had IEP/PEP meeting with them and the "home elementary school" special ed teacher 5/2016. In May we also started ritalin. Moderate improvement.

- Issues on and off through the fall, some dosage tweaks etc., issues accelerated after Thanksgiving. Major incident in early January that unnerved us. Her therapist suggested psych testing, and we had intake on that at tail end of January. Pricey but felt we needed to do it. Got report a couple days before spring break, and yep gave it to the school. No real response to it yet.

- Testing was WISC-IV. Full scale IQ was 137. Verbal was lower than fluid reasoning, is that the same as percetual?

I probably missed some questions. I don't know boredom is causing the behaviors, that was just me speculating. None of the increasing array of medical professionals has indicated as such

137 is not "highly gifted". It's in the moderately gifted range.

Look, I think OP's emphasis on her child being "gifted" is all wrong and she's doing her child no favors by being this way but 137 is highly gifted according to some scales. If you want to be absolutely literal about it it would depend on the test her child was given but seriously who cares?

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/highly_profoundly.htm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here...nutshell history is,

- issues started on and off in a private prek. We did childfind eval and they naturally said all was wonderful. By Feb. 2016 we were on verge of being kicked out and we called childfind again and they agreed to revisit, came out and observed her 4/2016, then had IEP/PEP meeting with them and the "home elementary school" special ed teacher 5/2016. In May we also started ritalin. Moderate improvement.

- Issues on and off through the fall, some dosage tweaks etc., issues accelerated after Thanksgiving. Major incident in early January that unnerved us. Her therapist suggested psych testing, and we had intake on that at tail end of January. Pricey but felt we needed to do it. Got report a couple days before spring break, and yep gave it to the school. No real response to it yet.

- Testing was WISC-IV. Full scale IQ was 137. Verbal was lower than fluid reasoning, is that the same as percetual?

I probably missed some questions. I don't know boredom is causing the behaviors, that was just me speculating. None of the increasing array of medical professionals has indicated as such

137 is not "highly gifted". It's in the moderately gifted range.

Look, I think OP's emphasis on her child being "gifted" is all wrong and she's doing her child no favors by being this way but 137 is highly gifted according to some scales. If you want to be absolutely literal about it it would depend on the test her child was given but seriously who cares?

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/highly_profoundly.htm

Her kid is not acting out because she has a high IQ and is "bored" in K. End of discussion about IQ.

[Anonymous]

OP, Does your child have any learning issues beyond behaviors? If not, then the GTLD program probably wouldn't be appropriate even if you get the behaviors under control. The program is really for kids who are underperforming due to things like inattention or dyslexia and that kind of thing. It doesn't sound like that's an issue for your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here...nutshell history is,

- issues started on and off in a private prek. We did childfind eval and they naturally said all was wonderful. By Feb. 2016 we were on verge of being kicked out and we called childfind again and they agreed to revisit, came out and observed her 4/2016, then had IEP/PEP meeting with them and the "home elementary school" special ed teacher 5/2016. In May we also started ritalin. Moderate improvement.

- Issues on and off through the fall, some dosage tweaks etc., issues accelerated after Thanksgiving. Major incident in early January that unnerved us. Her therapist suggested psych testing, and we had intake on that at tail end of January. Pricey but felt we needed to do it. Got report a couple days before spring break, and yep gave it to the school. No real response to it yet.

- Testing was WISC-IV. Full scale IQ was 137. Verbal was lower than fluid reasoning, is that the same as percetual?

I probably missed some questions. I don't know boredom is causing the behaviors, that was just me speculating. None of the increasing array of medical professionals has indicated as such

137 is not "highly gifted". It's in the moderately gifted range.

Look, I think OP's emphasis on her child being "gifted" is all wrong and she's doing her child no favors by being this way but 137 is highly gifted according to some scales. If you want to be absolutely literal about it it would depend on the test her child was given but seriously who cares?

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/highly_profoundly.htm

Her kid is not acting out because she has a high IQ and is "bored" in K. End of discussion about IQ.

Why are you being so insistent about this? Everything is inter-related. A high IQ could absolutely exacerbate the behaviors related to other challenges (like anxiety, ADHD, ASD traits/social skills deficits.) Boredom and a poor classroom environment on top of all of that is practically a recipe for misbehavior. OP was never trying to claim that all of her kid's challenges are due to her IQ.

[Anonymous]

NP. The focus on IQ especially for a kid in Kindergarten with behavioral issues isn't particularly helpful.

I have a profoundly gifted kid with ASD/ADHD and when he was having a lot of behavioral issues we focused on what kind of supports and services are needed at school not on the school curriculum, differentiation, etc which is where focusing on IQ leads.

[Anonymous]

OP again...I didn't mean to make it sound like I was blaming her issues on her IQ. We only got the IQ result two weeks ago, before that we just figured she was very bright.

The LD involves visual tracking and other terms I don't yet have a good understanding of (again, just got report). We're supposed to also look for a developmental optometrist.

The current IEP (in place since last May) is pretty basic and focused on social skills. Clearly now we have with the psych report more ammo for additional supports. Plus they have now witnessed plenty of her school behaviors. DH in particular is frustrated with the school and finds it hard to step in and explain what to do since we only rarely see them at home. I can only think of one major behavioral event at home in the past few months, and it was directly related to her cousins, who had been visiting, getting ready to leave to go back to Ohio. Playdates are fine, trips to the mall are fine, even parties at Chuck E Cheese (god help us) are fine etc. Pre-medication she would act out on family trips, but the last one pre-medication was in March 2016.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again...I didn't mean to make it sound like I was blaming her issues on her IQ. We only got the IQ result two weeks ago, before that we just figured she was very bright.

The LD involves visual tracking and other terms I don't yet have a good understanding of (again, just got report). We're supposed to also look for a developmental optometrist.

The current IEP (in place since last May) is pretty basic and focused on social skills. Clearly now we have with the psych report more ammo for additional supports. Plus they have now witnessed plenty of her school behaviors. DH in particular is frustrated with the school and finds it hard to step in and explain what to do since we only rarely see them at home. I can only think of one major behavioral event at home in the past few months, and it was directly related to her cousins, who had been visiting, getting ready to leave to go back to Ohio. Playdates are fine, trips to the mall are fine, even parties at Chuck E Cheese (god help us) are fine etc. Pre-medication she would act out on family trips, but the last one pre-medication was in March 2016.

I am 12:27 and my kid only acted out at school too. You need to find another school that is a better fit and can better support your DD.

We stayed at our school because the FBA/BIP worked and DS had gone there for three yrs before we had behavioral issues. Our behavioral issues were mostly due to a personality conflict with the new SN teacher and undiagnosed ADHD. DS got a new SN teacher, med for ADHD and FBA - no more behavioral issues.

There is somethings at your school that is causing these behaviors. Get the FBA but also look for better alternatives maybe even another elementary school with a better staff with a revised IEP.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

^if she is only acting out at school and is fine at home, it's the school causing it and not an emotional disability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP again...I didn't mean to make it sound like I was blaming her issues on her IQ. We only got the IQ result two weeks ago, before that we just figured she was very bright.

The LD involves visual tracking and other terms I don't yet have a good understanding of (again, just got report). We're supposed to also look for a developmental optometrist.

The current IEP (in place since last May) is pretty basic and focused on social skills. Clearly now we have with the psych report more ammo for additional supports. Plus they have now witnessed plenty of her school behaviors. DH in particular is frustrated with the school and finds it hard to step in and explain what to do since we only rarely see them at home. I can only think of one major behavioral event at home in the past few months, and it was directly related to her cousins, who had been visiting, getting ready to leave to go back to Ohio. Playdates are fine, trips to the mall are fine, even parties at Chuck E Cheese (god help us) are fine etc. Pre-medication she would act out on family trips, but the last one pre-medication was in March 2016.

I am 12:27 and my kid only acted out at school too. You need to find another school that is a better fit and can better support your DD.

We stayed at our school because the FBA/BIP worked and DS had gone there for three yrs before we had behavioral issues. Our behavioral issues were mostly due to a personality conflict with the new SN teacher and undiagnosed ADHD. DS got a new SN teacher, med for ADHD and FBA - no more behavioral issues.

There is somethings at your school that is causing these behaviors. Get the FBA but also look for better alternatives maybe even another elementary school with a better staff with a revised IEP.

Good luck!

Not 12:27 but 12:41.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^if she is only acting out at school and is fine at home, it's the school causing it and not an emotional disability.

Agree that something at school is bothering her but Op clearly said she acted up at home before being medicated so there's definitely something going on in different environments. It's not as simple as it just being an issue at school.

[Anonymous]

OP here--yeah, in the past we had called her home behavior a 'diluted' version of what would happen at school. That was before medication, and also when she was younger and her younger brother was more annoying to her than he likely is now at age 4. (Fortunately, smooth sailing with him so far behaviorally.) Post-medication, she can be grumpy at home sometimes, but nothing like what's reported at school.

[Anonymous]

I would schedule her for ADOS to evaluate her for autism. HFA in girls does not present in the same way as boys AND a psycheducational eval finding "signs of autism but not enough' should not rule out autism in a girl without ADOS.

If she is on the spectrum, it will be much easier to get her into the Asperger's program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would schedule her for ADOS to evaluate her for autism. HFA in girls does not present in the same way as boys AND a psycheducational eval finding "signs of autism but not enough' should not rule out autism in a girl without ADOS.

If she is on the spectrum, it will be much easier to get her into the Asperger's program.

ADOS under diagnoses girls. If you are concerned about ASD, make sure you go to someone who has experience with girls. I recommend Dr. David Black.