For anyone interested, I have compiled many helpful resources about "2e" kids (twice exceptional; gifted with adhd and/or ld's) here: community.greatschools.net/groups/16042

Gifted children with learning issues face an especially difficult battle qualifying for special services under IDEIA2004, since NCLB and RTI (Response To Intervention) basically only requires that students meet minimum grade level curriculum standards. There isn't any law that says they have to meet their potentials, as measured by IQ testing. Nevertheless, some school districts are more willing to support their needs than others. We can't give up trying.

I have a similar situation with my daughter and am at my wits end. She tested gifted in the fifth grade (IQ 132) and was diagnosed with ADD in the 6th grade, with anxiety in the 9th grade and with OCD last year. When I turned to her principal for help, she instead gave me tough love and told me this was a parenting issue and not a school issue. That was AFTER she had received letters from my daughter's psychologist and psychiatrist warning that she would be in the hospital if the school did not begin to support her!! Her doctor was so furious that he pulled my daughter out of school for 5 weeks and put her on home bound instruction. Finally the school agreed to test her but last week she was determined to not require special education. I am requesting IEE, but it is an uphill battle.

Of course it does not help that my son is very similar and had an IEP for the last four years of school (a 3 year long battle!) and we were fighting with them constantly. He did not receive special education instruction for three of his four years because we were told that there was no support in advanced classes. His IEP provided accommodations only. When we said that they had to meet his needs and not build his program around current staffing, they said that he could always take a Special Ed class (although they immediately said that that would not be a proper placement for him). Finally, in desperation to get support, we agreed to put him in a special ed class the first semester of his senior year and he was awarded 1 hour of services per day for 5 days each week. When the semester long class ended and we refused to put him in the next spec ed class because it was useless to him (no goal work at all--just busy work), he received absolutely no minutes of services the entire semester although his IEP still called for 5 hours per week!! I repeatedly requested support for him, eventually stating that they were out of compliance with the IEP and was told that "we know we are out of compliance, but we just need to reduce his minutes". I refused to do so and he had to drop one class that semester and received a D- in another. Previously he had a 3.5 GPA and had never received anything below a C. This was last year and he was a senior, so he is out of there now, but I would really like to hold the school accountable so that future parents won't have the same problems as I am again with my daughter. Unfortunately, I have been home the last eight years to support my children and it is not possible for us to hire an attorney on my husband's painter's wages. Any advice?

Port St. Lucie Elementary school has a program for gifted kids. SL County has a difficult problem. They are nearly 70% or more with free and reduced kids and one of the greatest amount of level 1 and 2 children. Trying to get them to realize the needs of gifted compared to level 1 and 2 is a problem. SL County cluters their gifted chidren together with many other levels. For example at PSLE they have grades 1,2 and 3 clustered together. No this does not wotk. Plus they lost one of their best gifted teachers to Martin cty. Make your daughter a priority also. Maybe her ADHD when it is controlled plus when you get her a gifted endorsed qualified teacher she will love learning at her level. It takes time and hard work on your part. But keep fighting, don't wait forever, and get it done. You can do it. Remember, go on the computer under gifted, you will see that alot of info about your daughters behaivor is on there. There are parent groups. It will wake you up. You wont believe the ADHD and gifted. Yes, I believe you when you say she is ADHD but also,many gifted are misdiagnosed with ADHD but are not. Trish

I know all about ADHD my older daughter is ADD, and early on I saw the signs for my younger daughter. The gifted part of it has been a trial. The school knows about her situation and the testing that she had done previously has not and will not be recognized by the school and guidance counselors. They say that because she wasn't tested with in the St lucie school system it is not a valid test. The poor girl has had to go through so much testing and other bologna that I am hesitant to put her through more testing. I have fought with the school on this. Ohhhh the guidance counselor has specifically told me not to worry there's nothing wrong with my daughter she's just difficult. And it will take one to two years to test and place her. She is following the standard student coarse. They aren't doing anything different with her than they are with any of the other students. She has a doctors appointment with a new doctor this week. This doctor is my older daughters doctor and is an advocate for children with ADHD and other learning difficulties. I am doing my best to be the squeeky wheel. Cris

I'm so glad to hear from you. And I'm so glad to hear that your daughter is in first grade so you are catching everything early. First of all you probably know everything about ADHD. But what do you know about gifted? If you don't know about gifted you better get on the computer under gifted and over time you need to do alot of reading and learning about your special daughter. You can e-mail these people and do alot of talking and learning. A IQ of 160 and the school knows this? Another question? Is your daughter in a regular class? Are they doing anything different with her than the other students? As far as cirriculum work? You have to know that you will be fighting along time for your daughter to get what she needs. But it will be worth it. It actually depends on her total future, of what you do for her now. Tell the school board they need to test her now. This year. You will go to a testing site even on a Saturday anywhere.Call the head of district ESE also and talk. Call Tallahassee gifted. Do they have gifted classes where you live for Elementary? What school district are you in? St.Lucie Cty?? Some highly gifted kids are labeled ADHD and they are actually not. Your daughter has a very high IQ. If you guide her the correct way she will be able to be anything she wants in life. Talk to me. Trish

Her iq is in the 160's range. She definately is a classic case of ADHD. It runs in our family. She is in first grade and I haven't been fighting long on this. But I want to nip it in the bud before she gets bored with school or just falls through the cracks.

My e-mail is cateyes8202@bellsouth.net What school district are you in? Even though the answer I am going to give you is still the same. You said she tested at a very high IQ? What was it? Your daughter might not be ADHD. She might be considered Gifted and that makes it a totally different story. You have rights. State rights. And don't stop fighting for her rights. What grade is she in? How long have you been dealing with this? Talk to me, Trish I have much more to tell you.