Congratulations son, your in the bottom 0.1th percentile

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Of functioning for age, well he's actually lower in some areas, as measured on something called the Vineland-II score administered by the University here as part of a study.
His real age is 4yrs3months but he has functionally equivalent levels of between a 1month old baby to 2yrs4 months (motor skills).
Theres a whole bunch of other stats that not knowing stats are a bit vague to me but theres also a Bell curve and he's off the bottom somehere near where the curve meets the flat line below.

So I guess I'll be saving hard. Not that its anything I didn't know I suppose. I might scan the results and post them up.

Last edited by nostromo on 17 Mar 2011, 2:21 am, edited 2 times in total.

Ouch! That's rough.

And I think I have problems right now. I wish the best for you and your son.

Yeah sometimes it really is rough. Only for moments. It's just a test, and it hasn't changed anything..but these things do diminish my optimism.
I've just got do my best that my son can enjoy life when he gets older.

as someone whose child was often getting sub 10th % results, I definitely remember the pain. My only words would be that it is much more important what do you think since you know your son the best.

Don't be discouraged. Your child is still very young and has a lot of growing to do. My son is a totally different person at 9 than he was at 4, when he could barely utter a word. It's hard to see your child being tested that low, but that doesn't mean that he always will.

Here's an example from my experience with my son: When he was 4 his receptive language tested in the first percentile, and his expressive a little higher, and he was AT LEAST 50% delayed, more actually in some areas. Now, he still has expressive language issues, he tested a month ago between 80 and 85 standard score (85-115 being average) which is better, but his receptive tested at 119. I was floored.

Hang in there! He may surprise you someday!

Don't be too discouraged.

At 9 years old my son tested at a 2 and 3 year old level for some skills. All of those areas have significantly improved over the past year with a lot of intervention. I think if he were retested now, he would be near chronological age level in all areas.

OK my son also tested low when he was 3 yo in language area (7 months and 7 days... I'll never forget the days).
It's not easy but I put the evaluation in a drawer and I started speech therapy. 2 months later I started ABA. It's non necessary see other shrinks and have other evaluations, so I avoid carefully to see doctors. I ask my husband to do it and never read evaluations. Now I'm too emotionally involved and it's too much for me. It's worthless to have another reason to be discouraged.
I understand you. Try to think to your boy's improvements and work hard.

Try not to let a test get you (or your son) down. My son also had some very low scores around that age. I think he was around 4 or 4.5 when he got several 12-18 month equivalencies. Today at 6, he's a little behind the curve on some things, but far ahead on others. He doesn't even qualify as a student with a disability anymore.

I think there are 2 big things to consider when it comes to these types of evaluations. First, the 5 and under crowd generally have huge discrepancies when it comes to development. Each child is so different that the "normal" range can be huge. Many kids, not just kids on the spectrum, tend to favor one area of development over another. I think adults often forget just how much there is to learn when you're new to the world. Kids learn at their own pace and that's OK, even healthy in my own, unprofessional opinion.

Second, most of these tests and evaluations only offer a snapshot of your child's capabilities. They are often brief and there are so many variables that can affect the outcome such as a hungry, excited, grumpy, or tired child. They are unable to provide the full picture.

I think it's better to approach the results as a guide for which areas he might be needing some help in. The actual number is really not very important, especially at this age. Good luck!

I agree with others dont be too down by listening to those results; things are sure to improve with interventions, and those numbers are not who he is as I'm sure you know. He has the most lovely expressive face, by the way.

i agree too dont get too discouraged lots can change from now till he's older and lots of things affect the reason for the scores now. When mine was tested at 3 yrs old they said he was ret*d and severely delayed in every catagory. His speech was also a severe delay once they worked with the speech the rest improved now at 10 he struggles with reading but otherwise in the norm with the rest.. Hang in there:)

I'd like to second all of the above telling you not to be discouraged. An acquaintance has a kid who was non-verbal and everyone said "Look, we know you want the best for him, but he's a mentally challenged 3 year old in an 8 year old's body and he'll never be anything more as much as you may want him to be. The best thing you can do is let go of all those hopes you had and just keep him comfortable until it's time to put him in a home". She almost did, she was about to, she'd given up and was making a, well she was making memento about her son as a goodbye, because she'd accepted they had to let go of those expectations but wanted something tangible to remember it all by when she found something that worked in reaching him! Now he goes to a normal school, they ask him questions and he can indicate what he likes and doesn't like and he's even improving in communicating more verbally, and this has been just a few years happening. And he isn't a 3 year old in a 12 year old's body who will always just sit in a corner stimming constantly between screaming like those doctors said, he's a smart kid with his own views who's finally getting a chance to show that to people.

It's an extreme example and every kid won't be like that although it would be nice if every story had that happy an ending, but it shows that all those specialists and doctors - sometimes they get it wrong, really wrong. Your son is 4 years, he's still got a lot of growing to do. The assessments can be wrong or overcome with a lot of work. And with a child that young I question how accurate that test will on his development in even just a few years. Kids on the spectrum don't develop quite normally, there may be nothing for a long time, and then suddenly one massive leap forward. Don't give up, things can change a lot with some work for kids on the spectrum, even the ones all the doctors say are at the extreme low end.

I wouldn't really recommend that, since things posted to a message board never die, and that is rather private information. But, I am sorry to hear you've had such disappointing results and so many frustrations. I don't know what to say other than that we're here for you.

Thank you all, I have read all of your posts and they are quite encouraging.
There's no use dwelling on the negative although its hard not to. It certainly doesn't help him in any way if I do that.
I'm going to try a different approach to our relationship this weekend.

I don't mean be obnoxious, but is the assumption that whichever percentile a child starts off in, they'll pretty much be stuck there forever? I mean, I think I can see how someone might feel that way, but is there actual scientific evidence that says that that is true, or is it just an unfounded assumption.

No I don't think that. But starting lower is a disadvantage for sure.