How And When Do I Get My Child Tested For Giftedness?
Linda Wechter-Ashkin Ph.D NCSP BC-TMHC
Your child is gifted meaning they have an IQ score of 130 or above. What a wonderful thing to hear especially because that is only 1-2 percent of the population, Now to be honest if you test your child at or before the age of 5 right before entering kindergarten, they are more likely to be labeled gifted than older children, and to be placed in gifted programs. For some that is frowned upon but honestly with the gifted programs funded better and using more project-based learning, it is nothing to be frowned upon. Be aware though that there may be a decrease in their intelligence score down the line. It doesn’t mean they are not very smart, just young scores are often inflated. This is one form of giftedness.
The second form of giftedness are those children with 130 plus intelligence scores that are here to stay. These children have a wider profile and if not managed correctly this can lead to many emotional and behavioral issues down the line that will need to be addressed. These children are extreme perfectionists, often have difficulty socializing with their peers, don’t always respect authority figures, often prefer to be alone, and have higher levels of anxiety than their peers. This type of giftedness results in the most creative and talented individuals in the nation, but if the other issues are not addressed it can lead to lack of productivity and inability to meet full potential.
The third form is the double exceptional gifted child. This child is gifted for sure but there is something else going on. Often, they are originally diagnosed gifted when they are young and a few years later they are back in my office because they are not meeting their full potential. Sometimes an attentional deficit is uncovered, or a learning disability, or an anxiety disorder, or on rare occasions autism. Parents will be confused because how can this be that their child was labeled gifted and now there is a problem too. Now what? For these children they can remain in a gifted program and get the needed services and accommodations to meet their other needs.
So you think your child might be gifted or maybe even twice exceptional. Give us a call at 561-769-9337 and let us set up an evaluation and then walk you through all of the next steps you need to get your child the services they deserve.
