Help my DD was tested and I am lost

[meli305]

Ok this is gonna be long but here goes.My DD just turned 7 and is in her 2nd yr of Kindergarten she has been diagnosed as ADHD and anxiety.She takes Ritalin twice a day to address the ADHD,Her psychiatrist suggested that the school do an eval.Well I just got the results the Differential ability scale gave her an 86 in the verbal cluster an 82 on non verbal reasonong and a 88 in Spatial Ability,Now I don't really comprehend the info on this test.But from what I can see she needs some serious help.On the Woodcock-Johnson she performed at less than a Kindergarten lvl.But the school says she is not eligible for E.S.E classes that makes no sense to me.She is 7 and performing at the lvl of a 4 or 5 yr old!!! We are having a conference on the 11th to discuss placing her on a IEP whisch is fine with me.I just feel lost.I applied for a scholorship for private schools there is one in my city that only has students with disabilities hopefully she will be approved.I am just very lost and frustrated my DD is very smart so I can't comprehend why she is doing so poorly and why the school says she is not eligible for E.S.E.

[Sally44]

I'm in the UK and don't understand the terms you are using.  
Can you let us know if she was assessed using both verbal and non-verbal assessments.  
Were her results low across the board, or did she do well in some areas and performed badly in others.  What were her scores compared to average scores?
If so in what areas did she do well and in what areas did she struggle.
What is ESE?  And what reason did the school say she is not elibible?

[dai3symae]

Hi,  I've been a special education teacher for 20+ years and I'll try to answer some of your questions.  The first set of scores....86  verbal cluster, 82 non verbal,  88 spatial sound like the results of an ability test.  Most have an average range of  85-115 so your child's scores are in the range of average ability.

The Woodcock is a test of achievement.  Your child scored below her current grade placement.

Testing in very young school children is not absolutely reliable which is why the school may not want to place her in sp.ed  just yet.  If she was diagnosed ADHD and is now taking meds it may explain why her test results are low.  Her attention span may have been too short, she may have answered impulsively or she may have gaps in her knowledge from being in class with undiagnosed ADHD.  

Many ADHD children are less mature (in terms of readiness for learning) and need time.  Now that your child is a little older, diagnosed and taking the right med you may begin to see a lot of progress.  Some students will be able to catch up without being taken out of the regular classroom.  Some will need to be place in a sp. ed. class.  Most sp. ed. students spend a portion of the day in each.

An IEP is a written plan for your child that includes where she will have instruction and what adaptations she will need to be successful.  An IEP meeting will be held and you are a member of the team.

I hope this answered some of your questions.  Good luck with your daughter. Let us know how it goes.

[deeyana]

It's a difficult system and to better advocate our children we learn the system and our rights. once of the best sites i think is  http://www.wrightslaw.com/. there you will find tons of information. You may want to look into  ADHD, IEP, 504, IEE.

I have PM you with some information on obtaining an IEE (Independent Educational Evaluation) and public expense. please check your inbox.