Anonymous wrote:PP - I started the thread because I was discouraged from applying to a SN school! I am looking for a special needs school!

Discouraged by whom, the neuropsychologist?

APD behaviors, speech issues, executive functioning, e.g., memory, concrete thinking, low testing scores/possible MR all seem to make a good case for going to a SN school. So you definitely need feedback from an expert, like an educational consultant. My apologies if I misinterpreted.

PP - I started the thread because I was discouraged from applying to a SN school! I am looking for a special needs school!

Anonymous wrote:OP again.

DD has some skills/interests you might not associate with someone of low normal intelligence. The other side of that, though, is that she has a more sophisticated veneer that fools even professionals into missing some of her deficits.

OP,

I think you have some prejudices regarding SN schools. My kid's tester used the borderline MR language too. An SN school isn't what I "wanted" either, but what DC needed. We couldn't be happier. DC is extremely social with a very well developed sense of empathy as are many if not most of the kids at the school.

I also have a sibling who definitely tested MR and did the vocational track in h.s. b/c that was basically what was available. If you met my sib in a social situation you wouldn't be able to tell either--good social skills; great vocabulary. Many of these things are fostered and learned through environment.

You seem in denial of your DD's deficits b/c she's such a great kid. In your search for a h.s., I really encourage you to include some SN schools in your application process. You don't want to be caught in the lurch if you get rejected from every "mainstream" school you apply to.

I don't have first hand knowledge of this school but it came up while I was doing my own school research. It sounds like a good match for you DD: http://www.echelonacademy.com/academics/academics.php

OP,

The APD behaviors (even if it's not her diagnosis), the concrete thinking described by your SLP, the memory difficulties she has, may make her a good candidate for the Auburn School.

The h.s. campus is in Herdon which may be too far of a trek for you: http://www.theauburnschool.org/Herndon.cfm?subpage=1264526&master=1213789&located=1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like OP's DD is a struggling learner. Probably has a IQ between 70-85. This is hard because she is not technically disabled but still needs support to do well in regular classroom which is probably more for the average kids (iq 85-115). I don't know why the previous posters insist that she has to have a LD or more things going on. I am not sure public school is the best place to be for her as it is very likely she won't be given a IEP. Schools like the McLean school may work.

no one's "insisting" she has an LD, they just want to make sure OP didn't miss something because...

you can have low IQ scores and still have an LD, **a discrepancy in scores don't preclude you from an LD, you can have be MR/intellectually disabled and have an LD, also OP's DD still sees a ST in 7th grade, has problems remembering math facts, got a waiver from taking a foreign language class, and b/c even respected neuropsychologist can get it wrong…

**should have said "not having..."

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like OP's DD is a struggling learner. Probably has a IQ between 70-85. This is hard because she is not technically disabled but still needs support to do well in regular classroom which is probably more for the average kids (iq 85-115). I don't know why the previous posters insist that she has to have a LD or more things going on. I am not sure public school is the best place to be for her as it is very likely she won't be given a IEP. Schools like the McLean school may work.

no one's "insisting" she has an LD, they just want to make sure OP didn't miss something because...

you can have low IQ scores and still have an LD, a discrepancy in scores don't preclude you from an LD, you can have be MR/intellectually disabled and have an LD, also OP's DD still sees a ST in 7th grade, has problems remembering math facts, got a waiver from taking a foreign language class, and b/c even respected neuropsychologist can get it wrong…

OP, you sound like a great mom with a great kid. The snark and judgment on DCUM gets me so down sometimes. Reading this thread made me happy.

Not OP, but PP how did you figure out it was something genetic?

My son has a genetic disorder which predisposes him to LDs and possibly MR, but his IQ is testing in the 95 range. He too tests very well, but short term auditory memory is a big issue as well as other tests.

He gets tremendous supports in the classroom under IEP eligibility category OHI that really help maximize his potential and minimize his areas of weaknesses.

I strongly urge you to seek an ed consultant and try to go through the eligibility process in the public school setting now. OHI might be an easier way in than SLD.

It will take months and if for some reason her needs aren't being met in whatever private school you find for her you can get those supports out in place for her.

When they neuropsych tested her, did they do the whole battery of educational testing and speech and language? If she hasn't been tested in the last year or 2, it may very well be worth testing her again. WHen repeated and as kids age, the FSIQ tends to go down.

She honestly sounds to me like a girl who can have some lesser type of genetic disorder that masks itself or isn't well known. So many of these types of translocations, mutations etc show up as reduced cognitive abilities but aren't identified easily.

All that being said, it sounds like your girl is such an articulate, great girl and I really believe that those communication skills get you so far in life. Good luck in figuring out your next steps.

OP,

Regarding her memory issues, have you tried this program:
http://stixrud.com/services/cogmed/

Our kid is too young (so no personal experience) and there are a few threads on this forum about it. It will probably be pricey, but might help her access the curriculum wherever she goes. Also, you might want to try finding a tutor who can help teach executive functioning skills might be useful. Doesn't matter if she is LD or not, they can help teach ways to process information more efficiently and stay organized.

OP again.

DD has some skills/interests you might not associate with someone of low normal intelligence. The other side of that, though, is that she has a more sophisticated veneer that fools even professionals into missing some of her deficits.

I'm really overwhelmed by all the responses. Thanks everyone!

To answer one question above - DD has already been extensively tested for auditory processing at Kennedy Krieger. That was done several years ago after the learning specialist at her school was absolutely convinced that that was her issue. She doesn't have it. To this day, her SLP will still occasionally say - "that's an auditory processing type of behavior", but when formally tested (for many hours) she passed all the tests with flying colors.

I think my child does do well in one on one test environments - she likes the attention of a testing situation.

She is very hard to pin down. If you met her, you would probably have trouble connecting her to this thread. She is well spoken and very empathetic. The teachers gave her rave reviews for what she said in a school meeting after the Sandy Hook shootings. None of the other kids were able to speak until she spoke, and then after she expressed her sadness, others were able to talk about it too. She listens to classical music of her own accord. Etc. As someone above said, we have been able to give her an enriched environment and she has benefited.

I appreciate the comments on the public schools. I do see her doing something vocational at a community college, but am not sure if that is right for her in high school. She enjoys her academic courses, even if she participates at a lower level than many of the kids. She loved reading a Steinbeck novel in language arts, even if she did use an audiobook and probably did not get it totally.

Thanks again people.