TESTING FOR GIFTEDNESS If you suspect that you may be parenting a gifted child, you may have your child tested by a psychologist. However, many schools offer the same tests at no charge to families. If you learn that your child is gifted, it is important to realize that you are parenting a child with special needs. It does require more from you. You will want to encourage your child’s curiosity and will need to provide a plethora of stimuli for your gifted child. You will also want to consider the edu- cational possibilities. You may decide that your child can best be served at a school for gifted children. If this is not an option, you will need to check what services are provided for gifted children at your child’s school. If it’s not enough, you may wish to consider hiring a private tutor or providing enrichment activities after school. I also encourage you to visit with your child’s teacher. Inquire as to how your child’s needs will be met in the classroom. WHY SHOULD I HAVE MY CHILD TESTED? According to the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), public school districts often use “subject-specific, stan- dardized achievement or group ability tests to identify students that qualify for gifted programming.” You may decide to have your child independently tested as well. Ask yourself the following questions before deciding to have your child tested: ■ Are there indicators—such as academic performance, social-emotional character- istics, or certain behaviors—that make me suspect my child is gifted? ■ Is my child not thriving or unhappy in his current learning environment? ■ Is my child applying to a gifted and tal- ented enrichment program, camp, online course, or independent gifted school where test results are required for admission? ■ Does my child demonstrate giftedness, but it’s not recognized because I suspect other factors (such as a learning disability, ADHD, or anxiety, for example) may be getting in the way? If the answer is “yes,” you might want to consider testing. nagc.org
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