Is My Child Gifted?
According to the No Child Left Behind Act , "The term ‘gifted and talented,” refers to students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in such areas as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities." Nearly every state has its own definition of gifted and talented students. Some define giftedness based on a comparison to others of the same age. Others base the definition on needs beyond what is offered in the regular classroom.
In Florida, the definition lists a Gifted child as one who has superior intellectual development and is capable of high performance. Further, for a child to be considered Gifted, (s)he must demonstrate the following:
- Need for a special program.
- A majority of characteristics of gifted students according to a standard scale or checklist, and
- Superior intellectual development as measured by an intelligence quotient of two (2) standard deviations or more above the mean on an individually administered standardized test of intelligence.
While some similarities exist among gifted children, one size does not fit all. Gifted learners exhibit different characteristics and ways to express their giftedness. According to the National Association for Gifted Children, several sources of information must be taken into consideration when Identifying a child as being a Gifted learner. Subjective sources such as: nominations, observations, and ratings are provided by a child’s school. Objective sources include providing the child the opportunity to take a standardized aptitude (IQ) test. While all public schools provide this service, many parents choose to have their children tested privately by licensed psychologists, such as those at Next Level Psychological Consulting in order to expedite matters.
Should I Have My Child Tested?
Individual administration of a standardized intellectual assessment will allow you to see if your child demonstrates the third key point in Florida’s definition of a Gifted and Talented Child. Testing provides an objective and systematic way for identifying gifted children, and allows you to see your child’s intellectual skills as compared to other children his/her age. Tests are often used by your child’s school as benchmark requirements for entrance into their Advanced Academic program.
How Would I have My Child Tested?
A typical Gifted evaluation consists of a parent interview, a child interview, and the child participating in an intellectual evaluation. Testing is typically conducted in one day either at your home or at our office. A testing session is usually no more than two hours long. Once your child has completed the testing session, the information is synthesized and interpreted. A final report is written for you to share with your child’s school. The evaluation is completed with a parent meeting during which the psychologist that tested your child would explain the results and provide you with the necessary tools for you to deliver the evaluation report to your child’s school. Afterwards, your child’s school should continue the process and determine whether (s)he meets their criteria for participation in their Gifted program.
Please contact us via email with any question as well as to schedule your child’s evaluation appointment.