test scores/ IEP or 504?

I mean, was she attentive for the first and inattentive for the second? And the examiner was just taking observational notes

That pattern would actually be consistent with ADD-these kids CAN hold it together but its exhausting-she wouldve lost the ability by test two. Also consistent is the ability to focus on novel or challenging material

What a mathmatically gifted child she is!

How much testing was actually done on one day? Any child would lose interest having that many tests in one sitting? Also, and maybe someone who knows how to score the WISC can answer, isn’t it just coincedence, that all the IQ scores are 107?Also, are the two 87 on the Woodcock in reading, enough to qualify for services?

When my brother had his eval the Dr. said he had Moderate ADD and we should get him on medication, but then in the next breath said she administered over forty tests, about a 5 hour period! Even an adult would not be able to hold their attentions in one place for that long!

Back a few years ago when I met the special ed advocate that helps our family, she said a lot of the time, ADD always comes into play along with another disability, not just by itself.

That just seems like a lot in one day!

K.

the comments are in the summary of the psycholigyst report. what i’m worried about is the examiner said she observed a very attentive child but then to justify the claim of ADHD she stated inattention,
oh thank you, she is extremely intelligent in math, she is far beyond the remainder of her peers.

Stephini underwent a total of 6 tests on 6-14-02, she started the test time at 7:30 am, and i picked her up at 12:45 pm. also i asked how can all 3 IQ’S hold the same numarical value, i was told in the totals of scores. Ironic that she barely reads but has an IQ of 107 in all areas. she is a 7th grader and last night took a phone message for me here is how she wrote it
Tisha Joshesah case Mananger Blur rige ( should have been)
Trisha Joshuah’s case manager Blue Ridge
another was Angee lenerd, should have been Angie Leonard
she spells everything using a phonics basis.
but the division said she passed all spelling at grade level in the test setting.HOW?

Does the testing mention any type of coaching? When my son had his speech and language eval, she mentioned several times, that she allowed him to keep going until he received the right answer. I also listened in on part of the testing and heard her say, “Come on, you know this!” Also, all that testing in five hour, I wonder at what point she lost attention, probably near the end!

One other thing, and maybe I am totally wrong on this, but my brother had two specific tests for attention, one was visual, he had to watch the screen for a letter and when he saw the letter he had to press the space bar, (This test I didn’t see as valid because of his issues with processing speed) Then he had an auditory test where he listened for a letter and raised his hand (This one is completely invalid because of his APD) Anyhow, did she have any of those tests?

I might suggest requesting an independent eval from the school. Something doesn’t sound right! Could she be gifted/LD?

K.

the attention test was Freedom from Distractability index she scored 129 90%
visual perception and visual motor, coordination SS 104 %61 perceptual age 12-3
she could possibly be Gifted/ LD i know her strongest areas are in mathmatical reasoning, she is now on her 3rd year in algebra. she has started taking Adderall for what they call distractability, and inattention. i call it stephini’s way of keeping herself occupied when she cannot preform as a 7th grader.
oh i just got off the phone with the special education director he said she needed a 23 point deviation from FSIQ and ability she has a 22 point deviation FSIQ is 107, (WRAT) reading (SS) 85

Maybe you should find out if that is the required deviation in your state? Is she receiving any help right now?

Also, my school uses a flow chart of sorts to determine eligibility, maybe you should speak with an advocate or even visit your states Dept of Ed website?

K.

Are you sure you want her to receive services?

My son is also borderline and in the 5th grade-we chose to stick with consultation and some writing intervention in class this year but I would prefer to be done with this before he hits middle school. His strength is also math but no where near your daughters level. Had he written that note it would have been much worse(yes, hes younger but Im talking WAYYYYY worse)

What would be available to her in 7th grade? In our district reading and spelling grades stop in 6th grade so as long as she was comprehending the social studies and science as it was presented, Im not sure this weakness would interfere with her studies. And the adderall may end up being a tremendous help_im guessing you have not been on it long enough to tell just yet.

The spelling difference-my son gets all As and Bs on his weekly spelling tests. Yet he just tested over two years below spelling grade level in the same test your daughter took. Im sure its a different format. He cant use the words he just learned to spell, for example, just seems to memorize them for the test. And he would do much better picking the correct spelling out of 3 choices(standardized testing) than actually writing a word.

Im not challenging you-just interested in your reasoning as this is a decision Ill be reaching next year with middle school myself. What I have heard leads me to believe that by middle school sp ed is reserved for very impaired children and those with serious emotional/behavioral issues. Im not sure my son would get the attention he needed and deserved-he is very quiet and keeps to himself-Im worried the teacher, however competent, will have to get to the squeakiest wheels first!

I would ask them for a copy of her WISC subtest scores? These will tell you alot. To me it sounds like there is an IQ split or major subtest split in there somewhere? It seems strange that both your VIQ and PIQ came in the exact same? If you had the subtest scores you could validate this.

To understand these scores, there is an article on Wrightslaw that will tell you how to read these scores. I think maybe LDONLINE may now have a link to it as well.

If there is a substantial split (and I can’t remember the exact spread? My dd has a 30 pt split between PIQ and VIQ) you are suppose to use the higher of the two for SPED Ed qualification purposes. However, many schools will not (mine did not).

So did I understand they recommended medication for mild ADD?

It’s been exlained to me that children with ADD can be inconsistant in their ability to concentrate and that it is typical for children with ADD to focus better on harder tasks.

I read somewhere that being able to spell, think of or understand a word is easier if that word is by itself and not being used in a sentence (written or spoken) because of the amount of attention that is spent on retaining the whole sentence.

I have a learning disability that makes reading and especially writing difficult for me. I dropped out of my first year of high school. It wasn’t until I was in college that I was tested and told that I have a learning disability. I wasn’t given a specific DX but was told that I could make use of accomodations like extended time on exams and being allowed to take them in a private room and note takers. Sometimes I wonder which comes first, LD or ADD. What I know for sure is that making use of the accomodations I was offered meant that I went from dropping out school again and again and again… to graduating within the top 10% of my class.

I have a learning disability that makes reading and especially writing difficult for me. I dropped out of my first year of high school. It wasn’t until I was in college that I was tested and told that I have a learning disability. I wasn’t given a specific DX but was told that I could make use of accomodations like extended time on exams and being allowed to take exams in a private room. Sometimes I wonder which comes first, LD or ADD. What I know for sure is that making use of the accomodations I was offered meant that I went from dropping out school again and again and again… to graduating within the top 10% of my class. Saying that being able to use accomodations changed my life for the better would be an understatement.

Hope wrote: Freedom from Distractability index she scored 129 90%

That is a very high index and if that is what they are using for attention; one would have to say no problem.Only 10% of the population score that high. I agree with you the report sounds contradictory to me. Also, who is the person recommending medication? The decision for medication is a medical one not an educational one.

The report indicates she did great on one-to-one testing. If she is having problems in the classroom focusing could it be CAPD (central Auditory processing disorder)? This would cause difficulty filtering out other noises in the classroom.

When they state there is no LD what they are saying is that there is no discrepancy because you didn’t get the 23 points so we are not even going to bother looking for a processing disorder.

As people have stated at the middle school level there is usually no remediation. Services are usually a study hall where the child gets some help on class work. I would suggest having her phonemic awareness tested and if low find remediation on the outside.

If you would like her on an IEP the law states that they have to look at other factors beside testing to determine eligiability. They should look at how the child functions in the classroom and samples of classroom work.

Helen

In what state are you and what is the formula for detemining eligibility?

She would miss qualifying in Missouri by a few little points, but it’s different in every state. So, let’s keep going on the particulars and get to the bottom of it all.

She is in Virginia. The VDOE does not mandate a discrepancy formula. That is left to the LEA. My LEA changed from 1 SD a year ago to a “regression formula” that translates to about 1 1/2 SD, or 23 points. However, there are several issues that need to be addressed for eligibility. The following is an exerpt from the federal law, which supercedes state law.

The IDEA, Section 300.535, Determination of Eligibility and Placement states:

(a) Interpreting evaluation data for the purpose of determining if a child is a child with a disability under Sec. 300.7, and the educational needs of the child, each public agency shall -

(1) Draw upon information from a variety of sources, including aptitude and achievement tests, parent input, teacher recommendations, physical condition, social or cultural background, and adaptive behavior; and
(2) Ensure that information obtained from all these sources is documented and carefully considered.

All these laws can be interpreted in various ways, but this is the starting point. I have to go, but I’ll check the state law and post later.

Lil

What are you looking for? As a middle-school student, individual remediation is probably not available. What will it take to help your child succeed? As you know, ADHD is a MEDICAL diagnosis, (see google search on Russell Barkley’s work), and many students are served under the Other Health Impaired eligibility category for spec. ed. qualification. If you are concerned about her reading, I would have her tutored privately.

according to my division there is a need for 23 points to have services available as LD the way they score it is … IQ minus achievement so in fact we have 107 ( FSIQ) an 85 ( reading achievement score) that is a total of 22 points, i have posted the subtest scores if you want to view them, they range from 7 through 15, i spoke with a LD educational consultant that offers remedial reading, she said even in VA that the test scores alone are well defined enough to show cause for the problem and to have the school system rectify this lack of educational progress. 1 point is what is keeping Stephini from recieving any form of remedial services, and yes it is true typically in middle school all that is offered to 6 through 8th grade students is a set of accomadations ie: more time on assignments, directions called out verbally to student, directions to be read to the student, avoid placing student under preasure, accept homework typed, or dictated by student and recorded by another… etc… and as a parent i still ask how in the world will this help stephini learn to read, write, or spell enough to live her life’s dream and become a vetanarian? in 1 year Stephini will be taking a Litteracy passport test in order to enter into highschool, at this time she shows no ability to pass that test, furthermore reguardless if they offer services i believe IDEA states a FAPE and if a Program is not in current use, one has to be devised to meet the needs of the child. so i am requesting a tutor, i have provided one in the 3 rd and 4th grade,

If you want services for your child or ar least accomodations and the school’s evaluations resulted in not being eligible by one point, I would get private testing done. In my experience evaluations done by school employees are biased in favor of not providing services.

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Oh my gosh! You are telling me that every district sets there own discrepancy level???? Unreal. I guess I’d be moving to another district then.

Janis