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[quote=Anonymous]Depends what you call gifted. We are in Fairfax, our definition of gifted is: "top 2% of US kids of the same age, or 5% or Fairfax kids taking the same test" as measured by an adapted crystalized intelligence test, and/or by a teacher who believes your child should be in. Emphasize the teacher recommendation, because a bright child without a recommendation still does not make it in. Which is why they call it "Advanced Academics" instead of "Gifted". Many  bright, but not gifted children are in, and many gifted children who need accommodations are out.

Our AAP programs are dispensed in "Centers" which are usually large, crowded schools, at the end of a long bus drive, often difficult to navigate for certain personalities. Some lucky few schools managed to get their local program, but the thrust is now away from that idea and back to the factory schools.

I have heard dr. Carol Horn, the program director, state that AAP and IEP are incompatible. That was said at a meeting for parents of twice exceptional  children, within a FCPS conference Special Ed, two years ago, when I was in your shoes. Essentially, in our AAP, they do it the way they do it and have no time for accommodations. They select not the kids who need a challenge, but those aligned with their way of teaching AAP.

It's easier to implement, and it saves money, but most 2E children are left out.

So get your facts straight before jumping in for an IEP. If you have independently verified that your child is truly gifted (check the AAP board for guidelines for DC), *and* if you believe the program will benefit your child, then settle for the minimum accommodations (504) in school, and work on additional skills at home. Once you child is on an IEP, transition to AAP/ Gifted or whatever they call it will be difficult.

If your child is borderline, chances are the teachers already know about it and about the additional help that may be needed. Sadly, they will withhold a recommendation because any extra need does not fit in the program. So by all means, try to meet your child's educational needs at school, through an IEP and invest on additional support to feed the "gifted" side of the brain. Don't count on the AAP.

Some will chime in that their ADHD kid is in the program -- those are kids who happen to have their needs met through medication, not accommodation. Or their SN does not impact the way they absorb new information (not distracted, just hyper). Or, they are lucky enough to have a local program where a principal carefully selects the children attending from within the school and is committed to their success. Some parents complain that it dilutes the level, I'd say to the contrary -- their children are more likely to be surrounded by their quirky intellectual peers, rather than by compliant bright kids who happen to learn the AAP way. Centers are different, and much less likely to be accommodating.

On the other hand, your bright child who overcame personal challenhes to meet the grade will not even be able to access the IEP, because he just showed that he can gain mastery of the classroom materials without support.

The worse outcome of this conversation is no AAP, no IEP and an entire school, principal and all out to show you that your child is just average no matter how their achievements, good or bad.

So pick your battles wisely is what I'm saying. [/quote]

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