Anyone Have Thoughts/Experience re 2E Kids?

[sste]

So we went to the neuropsych today for our testing and she was able to tell me same-day that DS is learning disabled and gifted. I had originally asked her not to do an IQ test as I have so much personal baggage about giftedness but she told me she had a feeling she should and I consented. So he is dyslexic she is doing follow up testing in a few weeks to try to get a read on severity but she said at first grade it won't show up as super-severe as kids are just starting to read. Currently at 12th percentile for reading and Hill if you are reading this our school gave him a test that involved literacy skills like vocab and called it reading which artificially inflated him. Also found articulation and speech organization issues, low tone, and dysgraphia. Also he has some major issue with visual-perception, quite pronounced -- we may be the rare case where there actually is an eye convergence issue and we are taking DS for further testing for that.

Has anyone experienced this or known someone to experience it? Perhaps I am over-reacting and I certainly understand there are bigger struggles on this board and IRL but it seems to me uniquely frustrating to be as curious as he is and not able to read. Also she is rec'ing a seemingly bizarre combination of gifted programming and remedial reading instruction along with private speech, OT, social skills class, and transfer to a therapist with experience with 2E kids. He gets speech and OT at school but she feels it is not enough. Head is spinning . . .

[Kindra178]

There is/was a Bbb mama who had a 2 e child. She also had twins. Let me try and locate. Is she ok with the school?


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[sste]

She thinks we should move actually but I certainly can't do that this year. What she also suggested is that we do a "partial homeschool" where we take him out of school two mornings per week for additional reading services and also his speech/OT and then she thinks we should utilize a gifted program near me which I have historically resisted! I will say I chose this neuropsych because she is incredibly well-respected and also she will serve as an "educational coordinator" who advises you on what to do and does intermittent progress monitoring . . . so I feel I should listen to her.

Basically the school situation is not good because he is both understimulated and unable to do the work! And unfortunately he really does need a different way of being taught how to read which at least the school is providing in the after-school OT tutoring they are offering him. But alot of his day is dead space. If we transferred though I can't imagine a public gifted program would accept him at this point so I think we need to get the writing/reading under control first which will be probably a two year project or more.

[LBW]

DS2 is 2/e, I suppose. His WISC-V full-scale IQ is 135, and he qualified in the top XX% of CTY qualifiers last year and was invited to the award ceremony. He also has ADHD and high-functioning autism (Asperger's) diagnoses, plus sensory issues, and they mostly manifest in issues dealing with the school environment. It's a challenging mix. For the past couple of years I've been working to get him to the point where he can make it through a school day. Keeping his brain busy is part of that, so I suppose that's how we've addressed his giftedness. He is in a small mixed-grade class with a f/t aide, and they work to customize his schoolwork. I honestly feel like they could push him even more academically, but the focus right now is on social skills + behavior. The fact that he's super smart is just a bonus.

If he was able to handle a typical school environment, I might fight for more gifted services, but it hasn't been a priority. I keep him busy with books and interesting toys, etc, at home, so he's always "learning" something.

[inmypjs]

Your description is very much like my son - dyslexia, dysgraphia, 2E in some areas, visual processing problems. You might check out the book "The Dyslexic Advantage" by Brock and Fernette Eide. "Upside Down Brilliance" is also a fabulous book for 2E issues.

Visual Processing Disorder is actually quite common with dyslexia - not rare. I think a lot of people just think Visual Processing Disorder IS dyslexia, which is where the confusion comes in. Most kids with dyslexia have either auditory processing problems, or visual, or sometimes both.

If you can't get 1:1 Orton Gillingham instruction at school, or feel you can't make tutoring work after the school day, then I personally think homeschool is the best option. Your description summed up why we pulled our DS - he was both understimulated and unable to work, due to the reading problem and the dysgraphia. With homeschooling you could do OG instruction, OT, and even vision therapy all within the school day.

[inmypjs]

One suggestion I would make is to start him on Assistive Technology (AT) asap. Most schools will say he's too young, but he's not. With his diagnosis, you can have access to Bookshare (e-books read by a text reader, with follow along feature) and Learning Ally (audio books with human readers and some follow along features). If you can get him used to using audio books at a young age, my experience is that he will be less inclined to resist these accommodations later. Text readers and audio books are AT that should be used whenever there is a difference between a child's reading comprehension (high) and reading ability (low).

If you haven't looked at Don Johnston's AT products, they are awesome - Read Out Loud, Write Out Loud, and CoWriter. It's really hard to get a school on board to pay for these, but they are fabulous and really allow a kid like him to do what all of the other kids are doing, and to show what he knows.

[hillview]

nice job getting tested. DS1 is this. His profile:
Verbal Comprehension Index VCI 99%
Perceptual Reasoning Index PRI 87%
Working Memory Index WMI 47% (!!)
Processing Speed Index 66%

He is 2 years older than your DS so nice work getting him tested now. DS1 is in a school for dyslexia. It was a hard decision. He is largely bored but needs the help. We are supplementing and working with the school to sort it out. He needs remediation with his language based skills but in 4th grade he is able to do 6th grade math. He will be between places for a while (mismatch in intellect and written language skills -- and later if not remediated biology and chemistry will be very hard) The Dyslexic Advantage is a v good book. feel free to ping me if there is anything I can help with.

[niccig]

A friend's DS is 2E and they ended up in a private school for kids who are 2E. His local school was a really bad fit for him and he's thrived since being at the private school. Like a completely different kid. I would be open to exploring all your options, and those may need to change as he gets older.

[brittone2]

There is some good info at times over at The Well Trained Mind forums. They have boards for accelerated learners and learning challenges, but there are quite a few parents with 2E children. One of our BBB moms, Katie, has a 2E child and that partly drove their decision to HS (started in public and then pulled out to HS). They don't have a dyslexia diagnosis, but I'm sure she'd be happy to talk with you. The WTM forums are mostly HSers, but there are people who have kids in PS (some of those "afterschool" to supplement), some kids are dual-enrolled, some families do some sort of hybrid as was suggested to you, etc. I am sure that you will likely want to explore dyslexia-specific information (private school options, remaining in PS but supplementing with tutoring and afterschooling, etc.), but the WTM forums may have some helpful info for you.

They are also an amazing resource for things like audiobook suggestions, learning styles, etc. As a result, it may be helpful for you in some capacity when you are ready.

It is wonderful that you've been able to identify his needs so early.

edited to add: I imagine there are quite a few 2E kids over at sites like hoagiesgifted. Just another possible place to explore.

[egoldber]

Verbal Comprehension Index VCI 99%
Perceptual Reasoning Index PRI 87%
Working Memory Index WMI 47% (!!)
Processing Speed Index 66%

Older DD's profile is very similar. She never had the reading challenges, as her diagnoses have always been for other issues. But she has always been very ahead academically and very behind in her neurological and social development. I know you have issues with the WISC, but just try to think of it as another data point in the puzzle of trying to map out the best path for your DS.

A partial homeschool option could have been ideal for her, but our district does not allow that as an option in elementary school. But we are considering something for HS, because they do allow dual enrollment with the local community college.