Reply to adhd and HGCs

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Reply to "adhd and HGCs"

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[quote=Anonymous]There are several misconceptions being perpetrated by several PP posts:

1) WISC is done part of neuropsyc evaluation.  The child is not given "accommodations" for the WISC.  However, the assessment is given in an exclusive environment - no other children, quiet room, i.e.. an ideal test environment with no distractions.

2) Many kids in MCPS have ADHD but do not have a formalized IEP or 504 plan in place to give them accommodations when they take the HGC test in 3rd grade.  MCPS company line at school team meetings is that if a child is making state standards, then the child does not need an IEP or 504 Plan and therefore one is not in place to give a child the accommodations they need to do their "best" on the HGC test.  If child is bright, how hard is it to not meet current state standards?  Meeting state standards and doing your best to standout and compete for slots in a highly competitive program puts children who have ADHD but no formal accommodations at a disadvantage in placement into the HGC program.  Therefore, there is a discriminatory bias to exclude children with ADHD.

3) The HGC Program looks for kids who are internally motivated, can stay on task, and can focus as well as learn independently with little supervision.  These are hard tasks for kids with ADHD.

4) The HGC Program is a heavily weighted language arts curriculum with a lot of high level reading and writing.  Because of Executive Functioning difficulties with ADHD and unless proper supports and accommodations are in place, these tasks can be naturally challenging for children with ADHD.

For items 3 and 4 - these are weaknesses that the teacher form really pings an ADHD child.  The questions are similar to the Brief forms.  The only way to overcome the teacher questionnaire is to have outstanding results on the HGC test - hard to do for an ADHD child who doesn't have appropriate accommodations and has a crowded test environment.

For those ADHD children that are the poster children for doing great once they make it into the HGC setting, that's wonderful.  I'm sure many ADHD children who are denied access because of the bias in the screening process would also do great, especially with proper supports and accommodations in place so they can show their true abilities.  [/quote]

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