Types of Giftedness
First, it’s important to understand that giftedness is not just a matter of academic achievement. A child (or adult) may be gifted in several different domains:
AcademicArtisticCreativeIntellectualIntuitiveLeadership
So, even if your child isn’t an academic whiz, they may be gifted in other areas. While schools are most likely to be interested in intellectual and academic giftedness, parents should be supportive of their child’s creative, artistic, or other gifts. These may become increasingly important as your child moves into higher grades or starts a career.
Tests for Giftedness
While “quick tests” (like the one below) may provide you with insights into your child’s abilities, they aren’t true tests for giftedness. Once a child has been identified as possibly gifted, they will go through a variety of carefully developed, benchmarked tests to determine whether and to what degree she is truly above average. Some of these tests may include:
Achievement testsNon-verbal IQ testsStandard IQ tests
Results of these tests, administered by trained professionals, provide schools with the information they need to place, educate, and challenge your child.
Checklist of Traits
Gifted children don’t always behave in the ways you’d expect. For example, many gifted children appear to be “daydreaming” in class, while others may have a hard time controlling their tempers. As a result, they may not be classroom stars; in fact, they may be in trouble more often than not. Some traits of giftedness overlap with traits of developmental disorders. It can thus be tough to determine whether a child is gifted or diagnosable with ADHD, high functioning autism, or another related issue. And, of course, it is quite possible to be gifted and also have a developmental disorder. Remember, though not all gifted children are alike, so not every gifted child will have all of these behaviors. But if some of these behaviors sound familiar, you might want to learn more about gifted kids.
Asks a lot of questionsAppears unusually sensitive to injustice or unkindnessFinds it difficult (or undesirable) to conform to others’ expectationsGets frustrated because their work is less than perfectGets totally absorbed in activities and thoughts Has an unusual level of interest in classifying and organizing objects or ideasHas seemingly boundless energy Prefers to work independently rather than in a groupTalks a blue streak, using an unusually high vocabularyWears you out with their endless questions
Giftedness Testing
If the above checklist describes your child, you may want to consider having them screened or tested for giftedness. Speak to your child’s school psychologist or advisor to set up a battery of IQ and ability tests to see if your child’s educational program is appropriate for their gifts. Meanwhile, though, if your child is also having difficulty communicating with peers, limiting impulsive behavior, or completing work on time, you may want to raise questions about those issues as well. Your child may be gifted; at the same time, however, they may have challenges that should be addressed so that their gifts can shine through.
