Test Scores
I took ZoomBoy to go register for high school today, and was reminded of something not many people know about learning handicaps.
ZoomBoy has ADHD--most of you know this, and even if you didn't read Clear Water, you figured out that he got it from me.
Now, one of the hallmarks of a kid with a learning disability like ADHD is that there is a noticeable achievement gap between what his test scores say he can do and what his actual grades show he's done.
There's a number--something like 20%--how that relates to what I don't know. But I do know what I was looking at when I saw his transcript paper today.
This kid had a 2.0 GPA with MAP test scores in the 95th and 97th percentiles.
And the counselor was touting the old bullshit line about, "It's better to get an A in regular English than a C in honors."
Yeah. No.
"Hi, uh, yeah. This kid has ADHD."
"Well, lots of kids--"
"No. This is the Industrial Strength ADHD--the kind that makes a squirrel on meth look like he's in a coma."
"Oh."
"You think it's better to get an A in regular English than a C in honors? Well with him, he can get a C in honors English or an F in regular English."
"Yes. I see that. Why doesn't he have an open 504?"
Me: 0.0 "What do you mean he doesn't?"
"Well, see, here it says--"
"I called a special meeting before he went into Junior High so they could give him an open 504 so we wouldn't have to deal with this. Are you saying he doesn't have one?"
"Not apparently."
"Well, I'll fix that--but we need to find some way to fix this." I waved the paper around.
"We'll do our best."
ZoomBoy was all big eyes through all of this.
"Did I do something wrong?" he asked.
I sighed. "Nope. I mean, besides not doing your homework, but you've been fixing that. Jesus, kid--would you look at these test scores!"
"Yeah."
"They're pretty damned good."
"Yeah."
"The next four years are gonna be a challenge."
*sigh* "Yeah."
Well, he's up to it. Honestly? As long as he graduates, I'm not stressing about grades.
With this kids brains, he could spend four years watching YouTube and come out and conquer the world.
ZoomBoy has ADHD--most of you know this, and even if you didn't read Clear Water, you figured out that he got it from me.
Now, one of the hallmarks of a kid with a learning disability like ADHD is that there is a noticeable achievement gap between what his test scores say he can do and what his actual grades show he's done.
There's a number--something like 20%--how that relates to what I don't know. But I do know what I was looking at when I saw his transcript paper today.
This kid had a 2.0 GPA with MAP test scores in the 95th and 97th percentiles.
And the counselor was touting the old bullshit line about, "It's better to get an A in regular English than a C in honors."
Yeah. No.
"Hi, uh, yeah. This kid has ADHD."
"Well, lots of kids--"
"No. This is the Industrial Strength ADHD--the kind that makes a squirrel on meth look like he's in a coma."
"Oh."
"You think it's better to get an A in regular English than a C in honors? Well with him, he can get a C in honors English or an F in regular English."
"Yes. I see that. Why doesn't he have an open 504?"
Me: 0.0 "What do you mean he doesn't?"
"Well, see, here it says--"
"I called a special meeting before he went into Junior High so they could give him an open 504 so we wouldn't have to deal with this. Are you saying he doesn't have one?"
"Not apparently."
"Well, I'll fix that--but we need to find some way to fix this." I waved the paper around.
"We'll do our best."
ZoomBoy was all big eyes through all of this.
"Did I do something wrong?" he asked.
I sighed. "Nope. I mean, besides not doing your homework, but you've been fixing that. Jesus, kid--would you look at these test scores!"
"Yeah."
"They're pretty damned good."
"Yeah."
"The next four years are gonna be a challenge."
*sigh* "Yeah."
Well, he's up to it. Honestly? As long as he graduates, I'm not stressing about grades.
With this kids brains, he could spend four years watching YouTube and come out and conquer the world.
date
newest »
newest »
Katyna wrote: "My kid has industrial strength ADHD too. With all the stuff that comes with it. Tics, Sensory Processing Disorder, Anxiety...he was hit full on with it. He sits around teaching himself to code (he'..."(((hugs)))) Anyone with their own odd little duck understands. The good news is that when they hit an age where they can control their own destiny, it usually turns out that their destinies are unique--and that all the effort we put into helping them love themselves and their quirks is paid back tenfold.
Katyna wrote: "My kid has industrial strength ADHD too. With all the stuff that comes with it. Tics, Sensory Processing Disorder, Anxiety...he was hit full on with it. He sits around teaching himself to code (he'..."I'm there with you!! All five if mine are neuro-atypical, but you've just described my oldest, if you replace science for maths. We homeschooled until last year when we waded into formal schooling for the first time, and it's fair to say it's been a bit of a mixed bag for everyone. He's 13 now (no, he still won't tie his own shoes), and on the second day of high school he whipped up a couple of pages of annotated illustrations and a phylogonetic tree (back to the last common ancestor, all branches, including families now extinct etc) in minutes, on the spot, from memory, when his english teacher told the class otters were pretty much the same as platypus (no, she seriously did). On the other hand he has failed every single exam/assignment because he has trouble focusing and applying when he can't see the point and he just doesnt care because the material is boring him to tears. Can he do the work? Unequivocally yes. Is he ever going to show that in standardised testing? No, probably not. Back to home ed later this year, for us. It's not for everyone either, but I'm thankful we have that option and it appeals to us (no doubt so is the school!! Lol). Good luck with your journeys!!
The school systems are not set up to handle these kids. I wish it were different and it wasn't so hard for them to navigate through the hell that is school, especially when you have a learning disability.