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Highly Able Children

308 replies

saisanne1 · 12/03/2017 07:40

Would like to hear from parents of highly children

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saisanne1 · 14/03/2017 07:50

I got your post deleted as there is no need for that language, I'm not saying swimming at 3, proves he's gifted, someone asked me a bit about my son. He may well have ADHD, I don't have anything against that in any way, but time will tell, I'm not going to go back to the EP and say oh I think you've got it wrong. ATM a few changes in nursery have benefited my son and he's now the happy boy he was a few months ago, he may or may not get additional support, time will tell, but he does not pose a risk to children, he's a very social boy with 4 very close friends

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BrieAndChilli · 14/03/2017 08:17

You do realise that even with ADHD children CAN sit still and concentrate on things if it's something they are really interested in don't you? ADHD is more complicated than the stereotype of not being able to sit still for more than 5 seconds.

SuburbanRhonda · 14/03/2017 08:41

It's not that the EP may have got it wrong, OP, but that they are not qualified to diagnose neorodevelopmental disorders because they are not medically qualified to do so.

Ime it's not unusual for staff who work in a school or alongside school staff to hold views about whether a child might have ADHD or ASD. After all, they come across many such children in their work who do have those conditions. But it's unprofessional to share those views with a parent as if they are a legitimate medical diagnosis.

saisanne1 · 14/03/2017 08:49

Yeah I've looked it all up and I'm sure I'll get pushed in the right direction if they think that

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corythatwas · 14/03/2017 10:20

I am a bit worried by the way in which you say you have "looked things up online" as if all online sources were somehow equally legitimate. As far as I am aware there are no studies of a statistically valid size that confirm that e.g. emotional problems are particularly prevalent in gifted children. A lot of what you find online is simply opinion and some of it ends up as self-fulfilling prophecies.

MSLehrerin · 14/03/2017 10:21

I'd also be seeking professional corroboration of ASD / ADHD / SEBD concerns rather than just "looking them up".

Wingsofdesire · 15/03/2017 21:42

Remember that you have a very long way to go. Your child isn't even at school yet. You have many years of him being in a class with a mix of children, and pot-luck with the teacher.

My daughter walked when she was just 10 months, spoke at 9 months, bilingually, swam at 1, etc. It doesn't always work that then they will need something extra or different at school. To be honest, the best you can do is to invest in a school with small classes and genuinely good teachers. Not just a name or a reputation. And you can't rely on the 'services' provided in mainstream schools. You need a place that really cherishes the individual. I've found one now (after a false start elsewhere). But remember that if a child is quick and makes connections, then they can very swiftly go to ground - hide their feelings, and even their talents, to protect their very sensitive emotions.

I was considered sub-normal at my first school, as apparently sat and said nothing. It was because I wasn't sure how to join in, as what they were doing seemed so simple and I didn't get it. I thought I was missing something. I won't go into it, but it turned out I wasn't sub-normal, whatever that may be (their term).

I would suggest you lay aside the advanced reading programmes and whatever other mechanical progress aids you have, and concentrate more on finding a first school that will support your child emotionally, and understand their sensitivity.

As I say, there are many years ahead. As a parent you too don't want to be put through the mill. My son, very musical as well as bright, used to copy the sing-song voice of the teacher. I was hauled in front of the Head for it. You need a place where the individuals dealing with your child have the intelligence and humility to respect you child's vulnerability and innocence, as much as anything else.

saisanne1 · 15/03/2017 22:21

Wingsofdesire Thank you, that all makes a lot of sense :)

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