<p>Is there any hope for my child? She is a sweet girl who struggles mightily in school. She suffered from an illness as a small child which apparently caused some mild brain damage, so she is very uneven in her skills and also has ongoing health problems including low stamina. Her overall IQ measures 85 but her processing speed is very slow (72). She has a great memory but needs to take things slow to understand them. She has a special gift for working with children and wants to be a guidance counselor which may be beyond her reach. She is in middle school now (public school...can't find a private school that really fits) and I want to find a way to steer her towards a happy life. She constantly talks about college, and her three siblings are all on college tracks with the oldest two on tracks that she can never acheive (honors/AP/etc.) so that is already difficult.</p>
<p>She has no behavior issues and is exceptionally sweet...so the teachers love her but she often gets placed with kids on the autistic spectrum or kids with major behavior problems, and this doesn't work well for her. Teachers have taken to pulling her out separately because she is somehow able to do more than her IQ demonstrates, perhaps because she doesn't have the behavior issues that many low-average kids in our district seem to have.</p>
<p>Are there any colleges that can provide lots and lots of support to someone in her position? We are unforunately in a very high acheiving school district where they just don't plan well for kids like her.</p>
<p>I posted on the parenting thread
But I want to add a couple more things
Worry about supporting her now- from middle school to high school & by continuting to help her explore her interests and build on her skills
If she constantly talks about college ( which even my younger kid has never done) is it that she really wants to attend for herself- or is she trying to build connections with her siblings?
Try and find what is it that really attracts her? It may be the common purpose and living with peers that is compelling- if so, there are other things that can give her that experience besides college-</p>
<p>Also, keep in mind that it is perfectly normal for special needs kids at this age to express desires to do "normal" things that they see their peers or siblings doing. My sister and I live together, we are both single parents; she has 2 adopted children, and her oldest (15 yrs old) has special needs/brain damage (was a crack baby); also very sweet and hard-working, but will never go to college, drive or many other things that "normal" people do. I have an 18-yr old (biological) son with mild Aspergers, very bright, who just started college (out of state). Naturally the 15-yr old nephew wants to do everything his cousin does and he too constantly talks about "learning to drive", "going to college", "dating", "getting married" and so on. It's important to truly understand their abilities and do what you can to help them reach their potential, but also important to be realistic. It's difficult to find a way to not burst their bubbles--they deserve to have dreams and aspirations too--and at the same time keep them from being hurt later by having had too high of expectations that cannot be reached. But definitely start your research now so you can develop and advocate for the best long-term plan possible...</p>
<p>Scansmom is right about getting a realistic idea of her abilities. But don't necessarily let the school be the one to dictate that. You see, if they lower their expectations of her, they will have to do less for her. Get an outside assessment of her abilities (if the school does a sped assessment of her, you have the right to request an Independent Educational Evaluation at public expense). </p>
<p>That's wonderful that her teachers realize that she can do more than her IQ indicates, because all too often sped students are defined by their IQs.</p>
<p>my IQ=80 the last time it was checked...i have adhd and im very like ur daughter i talk about driving and college...im planning on taking a postgrad yr...after hs im a junior currently struggling w/ chemistry...english vocab is always a hard thing for me..math is what i learned 2 yrs ago in public school my schools crazy were so behind in curriculum...my good points in School r History mainly US history and Math...now..i used to struggle horribly..altho i used to really good @ english....Landmark is something my parents want me 2 b @ once i graduate but i feel like its not the place for me... its not for everyone my dream college will be one w/ a top riding team...ive been riding off and on for yrs only taking a few month break currently to a brain surgery recently i go back next month.(been counting days till i get out of gym i start riding again at the yrly trip to the dude ranch 1 1/2-2 hours away)</p>
<p>People may not be responding to your question because this is a very old thread. You may want to start another thread with your question. I’m curious to hear what colleges would be good, too. I would think that the services provided to ADHD students would probably work well for low IQ students, too.</p>