need to provide a plethora of stimuli for your gifted child.
You will also want to consider the ed- ucational 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 special needs will be met in the classroom.There is such a focus on the students falling behind that some teachers are less aware that gifted chil- dren need special attention too. When No Child Left Behind was implemented, I frequently stated that it was my own gifted children being left behind. Work with your child’s teacher to help him or her provide the environment and challenges that your gifted, creative, or talented child needs. WHY SHOULD I HAVE MY CHILD TESTED? According to the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), public school districts often use “subject-spe- cific, standardized achievement or group ability tests to identify students that qualify for gifted programming.”You may decide to have your child inde- pendently tested as well. Ask yourself the following questions before deciding to have your child tested: Are there indicators—such as academic performance, social-emotional char- acteristics, 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 talented 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,” to any of the above questions, you might want to pursue having your child tested privately.
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