Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford a private eval, you should get one OP. (Even if it hurts the feelings of the school psychologist who is posting here.) The school’s testing might be spot on but you’ll likely learn a lot more from the private testing, and they will have recommendations for you. Hopefully you will leave that feeling empowered rather than scared.

OP, you are entitled by law to an Independent Educational Evaluation, which is an evaluation paid for by the state but with a private evaluator that YOU select.

Write an email to your IEP case manager and tell them, politely, that you appreciate their hard work but given the seriousness if the diagnosis, you are not sure you agree and would like to get an IEE. Ask them to provide instructions about that process.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The negative attitudes on this board are a result of negative, poor, inappropriate treatment by the schools. So you may not like to hear it , but it is a reality in a lot of different school systems.

NP. But that is not a guarantee that by obtaining a private assessment, the score of the school psychologist will be obviated. I have seen it happen on an IEP team where the family refused to believe the IQ score and accused the school psych of incompetence, went and got a private assessment, and the IQ score from that one was even lower. It created quite an awkward situation unnecessarily. There is every right to obtain a second opinion and I would do so myself, but maligning the school personnel and calling their competence into question should be left out of it and the possibility that the results are accurate should not be reflexively dismissed.

And I’ve seen numerous instances of the school saying it’s just a low iq - often done with a school “psychologist” who isn’t anywhere near qualified - and then on private testing with an actual neuropsychologist, learning disabilities are discovered.

Alternatively, the “actual neuropsychologist” isn’t an expert on learning disabilities and is just slapping on a diagnosis to make the parent feel like their money was well spent.

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford a private eval, you should get one OP. (Even if it hurts the feelings of the school psychologist who is posting here.) The school’s testing might be spot on but you’ll likely learn a lot more from the private testing, and they will have recommendations for you. Hopefully you will leave that feeling empowered rather than scared.

Anonymous wrote:My daughter scored 83 in 5th grade. She has ADHD.

She scored 90th and 92nd percentile on her iready benchmarks and she passed her end of grade testing for 7th grade math.

She's been recommended for high school math as a rising 8th grader.

She is an intermediate level piano player, does swim team, as well as dance.

We worked HARD! She went to mathnasium in 5th and 6th, Lindamood Bell summer before 6th, and did reading tutoring once per week in 6th and 7th.

Do EVERYTHING. All the tutoring, all the extra help you can afford.

Anonymous wrote:I am a special ed teacher. With those scores I am very surprised why they did not qualify her?! She can qualify if she has adhd. If they are giving her services then why are they not giving her an IEP?! This is a red flag.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The negative attitudes on this board are a result of negative, poor, inappropriate treatment by the schools. So you may not like to hear it , but it is a reality in a lot of different school systems.

NP. But that is not a guarantee that by obtaining a private assessment, the score of the school psychologist will be obviated. I have seen it happen on an IEP team where the family refused to believe the IQ score and accused the school psych of incompetence, went and got a private assessment, and the IQ score from that one was even lower. It created quite an awkward situation unnecessarily. There is every right to obtain a second opinion and I would do so myself, but maligning the school personnel and calling their competence into question should be left out of it and the possibility that the results are accurate should not be reflexively dismissed.

And I’ve seen numerous instances of the school saying it’s just a low iq - often done with a school “psychologist” who isn’t anywhere near qualified - and then on private testing with an actual neuropsychologist, learning disabilities are discovered.

Alternatively, the “actual neuropsychologist” isn’t an expert on learning disabilities and is just slapping on a diagnosis to make the parent feel like their money was well spent.

This I don’t understand. As parents this is what we have experienced, public school systems used balanced literacy materials for reading instruction for decades, specifically the school system my child attended in Maryland. So having a child that needed what we will call phonics, structured literacy, OG, whatever name the “ experts” call it. I think it’s been established that reading instruction was poor for years, identification of kids with needs ( dyslexia) is and has been poor for decades, but you want us to believe you are the experts. It just doesn’t make sense. How can you possibly be the experts if the instruction was so poor for that long?
Not to mention I’m not aware of a school system around that provides targeted instruction for dysgraphia or especially dyscalculia. So I’m not seeing the expert understanding of learning differences in practice. My child’s school system didn’t have an ounce of understanding about dyscalculia, and that absolutely included the special education/ resource teachers. Our neuropsychologist explained everything about my child to me and she was 100 percent spot on at an early age. She is and always has been the most well qualified individual I have meet regarding my child’s learning differences. The school doesn’t come close. I wish the school system had the experts but I just don’t see it at all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The negative attitudes on this board are a result of negative, poor, inappropriate treatment by the schools. So you may not like to hear it , but it is a reality in a lot of different school systems.

NP. But that is not a guarantee that by obtaining a private assessment, the score of the school psychologist will be obviated. I have seen it happen on an IEP team where the family refused to believe the IQ score and accused the school psych of incompetence, went and got a private assessment, and the IQ score from that one was even lower. It created quite an awkward situation unnecessarily. There is every right to obtain a second opinion and I would do so myself, but maligning the school personnel and calling their competence into question should be left out of it and the possibility that the results are accurate should not be reflexively dismissed.

And I’ve seen numerous instances of the school saying it’s just a low iq - often done with a school “psychologist” who isn’t anywhere near qualified - and then on private testing with an actual neuropsychologist, learning disabilities are discovered.

Truth! SpEd teacher here again with a daughter that scored an 83.
I have had so many parents go the private route to get dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyslexia. They do anything to prevent an IQ less than 85. My daughter gets services as OHI. At this point the IEP ensures her accommodations and use of an FM....the services from a teacher haven't been super beneficial the last year bc we've put in SOOO much work outside of school to get her caught up and in some cases, ahead.

Alternatively, the “actual neuropsychologist” isn’t an expert on learning disabilities and is just slapping on a diagnosis to make the parent feel like their money was well spent.

Anonymous wrote:Doesn’t iq change every time you take the test?

Anonymous wrote:My son has a lower IQ than your daughter - low 70s. He’s an adult now. The way I viewed it early on was kind of wait and see. No predictions. No expectations positive or negative. Just make sure he had lots of supports and lots of opportunities to be successful and wait and see.

He did not learn to read until 6th grade and that was the result of private services and a special program at school. The school did want to place him in the certificate track which I did not allow because it takes a diploma to get a job. It took a lot to get an IEP because there was no expectation of success academically with that low of an IQ but I was able to find support at school to get him what was available even during the years when he didn’t have an IEP.

He now has a great career in the trades, thanks to vo tech and a two year post high school program with a full scholarship from a trade union. He earns decent money (almost $35/hour). He has health insurance and a pension. He has paid sick leave and paid vacation and is earning double time and a half working today because it’s a holiday.

One thing I will say is this. It is a lot of work as a parent to make this happen. Getting an HS diploma meant I didn’t get a day off from working with him to pass his classes ever. I worked with him daily for months to study for every certification test he’s ever taken and still do when he needs to recertify.

Anyway, good luck to you and your daughter. I hope you find a path that brings you peace.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The negative attitudes on this board are a result of negative, poor, inappropriate treatment by the schools. So you may not like to hear it , but it is a reality in a lot of different school systems.

NP. But that is not a guarantee that by obtaining a private assessment, the score of the school psychologist will be obviated. I have seen it happen on an IEP team where the family refused to believe the IQ score and accused the school psych of incompetence, went and got a private assessment, and the IQ score from that one was even lower. It created quite an awkward situation unnecessarily. There is every right to obtain a second opinion and I would do so myself, but maligning the school personnel and calling their competence into question should be left out of it and the possibility that the results are accurate should not be reflexively dismissed.

And I’ve seen numerous instances of the school saying it’s just a low iq - often done with a school “psychologist” who isn’t anywhere near qualified - and then on private testing with an actual neuropsychologist, learning disabilities are discovered.

Alternatively, the “actual neuropsychologist” isn’t an expert on learning disabilities and is just slapping on a diagnosis to make the parent feel like their money was well spent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The negative attitudes on this board are a result of negative, poor, inappropriate treatment by the schools. So you may not like to hear it , but it is a reality in a lot of different school systems.

NP. But that is not a guarantee that by obtaining a private assessment, the score of the school psychologist will be obviated. I have seen it happen on an IEP team where the family refused to believe the IQ score and accused the school psych of incompetence, went and got a private assessment, and the IQ score from that one was even lower. It created quite an awkward situation unnecessarily. There is every right to obtain a second opinion and I would do so myself, but maligning the school personnel and calling their competence into question should be left out of it and the possibility that the results are accurate should not be reflexively dismissed.

And I’ve seen numerous instances of the school saying it’s just a low iq - often done with a school “psychologist” who isn’t anywhere near qualified - and then on private testing with an actual neuropsychologist, learning disabilities are discovered.