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.