5 y/o Son labeled cognitively disabled by school district preschool

[ChrisMama]

I have posted before about my son.  He is a child who displays a number of age-appropriate skills i.e. recognizing alphabet, knowing letter sounds, reads 40 sight words. Identifies colors, shapes, numerals, rote counts to 40 now, counts objects to 20.  Writes first name, traces letters numbers, cuts out shapes w/scissors independently.  Dresses self independently, buttons shirts, puts on and zips coat independently.  Rides bike w/training wheels, catches and throws a football and smaller balls, catches baseball w/glove, hits baseball pitched to him.  Answers basic reasoning questions correctly: "What do you do when you are cold/hungry/tired,dirty? What do you do with a hat/brush/cup.  Can play simple rhyming game with cards, understands concept of opposites.  

He has a expressive/lreceptive language disorder.  Based on the above information is it reasonable to believe that the recent cognitive testing may be invalid? A counselor from a Catholic school reviewed a videotape of him performing many of the above skills, and IEP report and observed him for over 1 hour at his preschool.  She reported that he is "bright", "cognitively intact" "really getting it, in terms of learning.  The school declined to admit him because they don't have appropriate services for him.  A second Catholic school has viewed this tape and met with me, they are aware of the preschools diagnosis and describe our situation as an "ordeal" and "bizarre".  They have SLP services and they are considering admitting him.  What is your opinion?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Without viewing the testing report it is hard for me to comment. Your description offers evidence that makes it difficult to understand how a conclusion about his being cognitively disabled could have been reached, but I would really have to read the testing results to comment with more authority.

[ChrisMama]

Thanks!  The report states he has an IQ of 59, with verbal abilities to be his relative strength.  It indicates that he was difficult to engage and when he participated some of his responses were "right on " and others were very off target.  Many of his responses to the non-verbal portion were without regard if responses for correct and incorrect.  A report from his teacher acknowledge some of the skills I have noted i.e. rote counting beyond 30, knowing the seasons but attribute it to having a good rote memory.  In the summary of the IQ testing it notes that he is unable to think beyond the concrete level at best!  The school psychologist noted that his pre-reading and pre-math skills are substantially below grade level.  Prior to the testing, I knew we would have a big problem.  He can be very disagreeable and frustrates.  He doesn't test well so to speak and that is why we went to the trouble of making the video tape I spoke of.

He behaves very passively in the classroom, speaking only when spoke to and has difficulty following directions.  He does not interact with other kids.  My brother behaved in a very similar manner in the early grades of school. He is not cognitively disabled but has a mood disorder.  We have talked about this to the school but we have been disregarded.  There is no mention of the videotape that we gave to the school in the report.  It seems as if the school has an air tight case so-to-speak that my son is mentally retarded. Though I can understand the school's analysis of him to some extent-based on his participation and response to the testing and based on his passivity and overall behavior in the classroom I have real doubts that he is intellectually disabled.  In fact his teacher told me and my husband on 2 separate occasions justprior to the testing that he is "cognitively fine" and he might not qualify for any services but SLP services.

I would like to also mention that his is capable of coping patterns with colored pegs and sequence blocks tallest to shortest.  He is able to make sets i.e. 5 red pegs.  He is able to place a figurine "on" "in" "in front" "behind" and so forth. He shows reasoning skills in everyday life.  When I told him he could not put a dolls clothes in the dryer, he took the clothing outside and hung it on a tree to dry, yesterday without any prompt from me.  Anyhow, what is your opinion in light of this information and what do you recommend?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

The IQ score would naturally bring about some level of concern, but it is important to consider it in the overall context of your son's day-to-day performance. Performnaces on IQ tests should not be dismissed, but it is also important not to overly stress their importance if the child's actual functioning seems to surpass what might be expected on the basis of the test results alone. It will be prudent to re-test your son approximately one year from the date of the first testing (to do so earlier would make the results invalid).