FAQs

How can I tell if my child is gifted?

You can check a short summary of characteristics normally associated with gifted children on our Home Page. If you think your child fits many of these, you may choose to arrange for an interview with a view to have your child tested. See the Contact and Services pages for details.

Are there different levels of giftedness?

Yes, there are five levels of giftedness.

I have a 2 year old and I think he is gifted. How old do children have to be before they can be tested?

The most ideal time to test children is between 4 and 9 years of age. However, we can administer an IQ test to a 2-year old, although the result may not be as reliable as after 4 years of age.

What can I do with my gifted preschooler, she is bored and I’m no longer sure that I am able to provide what she needs?

You sound like a fairly typical parent of a gifted child who is exhausted. Although you felt capable of helping your child before, you no longer feel sure how to proceed with the child, who is ever-hungrier for more and more experiences and information. Right?

Congratulations - whatever you have been doing has obviously worked really well, so why fix it?

  • If the child is keen, eager for learning, then you have obviously been able to maintain the interest through providing the requisite amount and type of experiences and activities that have been neither too easy nor too difficult.
  • You have not expected the child to perform for the sake of performing, and have instead provided encouragement that has propelled the child towards development and achievements.
  • The child has amassed a large vocabulary, demonstrating that you have spent much time in direct dialogue and communication, discussing a variety of subjects with the child. A large and sophisticated vocabulary is a sign of giftedness.

The good news is that you do not need to be available to support the learning of the child all the time. The child should be able to self-direct at least part of the day, and cries of boredom can be coached to become an agent for creativity. What you may need, however, are a few pointers in how to continue a job already well done. Please contact us and make an appointment for a single hour consultation, and you should be on your way again!

Should I send my gifted preschooler to a Montessori preschool?

There are no particular methods or approaches that are better than others for gifted children. What they require more than anything else are meaningful relationships with adults and a stimulating and responsive program, and these are the key things you should be looking for if you intend to enroll your child at a preschool. Some parents prefer to send their child to very good local community preschools where children learn to socialise appropriately prior to school. Others choose alternative preschools attached to alternative schools that are conducted in the A.S. Neill/Tolstoy/Dewey style, based on a democratic individual and group approach. Others again choose a Rudolph Steiner Preschool believing that children should be given time to be dreamy and spiritual before any factual teaching takes place, or a Montessori Preschool where children are expected to master set tasks prior to being allowed to move on to new challenges. Finally, some parents prefer to keep the children at home, but send them to tutoring in particular subjects such as reading, mathematics and early childhood music. This latter option is useful if your child is precocious in one of these areas.

I have had my child tested, but don’t understand what the report means. What should I do, and how can I help my child.

I have sometimes been asked to look at a report written by another psychologist because the parent did not understand what the report meant in a practical sense. If you have a similar problem and you don't feel you can go back to the initial psychologist, contact us and make an appointment for a single hour consultation.

I had my child tested last year. How often can she be tested?

Once a child has had an IQ test, he should not be re-tested any earlier than 9 months after the first test, according to Sattler, a well respected expert. This is because children's results can otherwise be boosted by what is known in the profession as 'practice effect', resulting in the child possibly remembering some of the questions, and getting a higher score due to that, rather than to the child's true ability. Generally, psychologists prefer not to test again for a couple of years, and there is actually no reason to test again, unless you think that the first results were poor due to the child's negative attitude on the day, due to a dislike of the tester, or unless there is a request from a school. In such a situation it is possible to administer a different IQ test earlier than the 9 months mentioned above, and as it should be a different IQ test (WISC IV instead of Stanford Binet V, for instance), 'practice effect' will therefore not be a major problem.

I only want an IQ test. Why should I choose the package instead of just the IQ test?

The package is unique in the way the tests and assessments have been handpicked in order to provide a holistic snapshot of a child. Most packages do not include, for instance, assessment of children's emotional quotient. Clever Kids Consultancy, however, has recognized the importance of this aspect in attaining a successful future, and has included such an assessment in the package.

The package provides you with the child's current

  • IQ, or academic potential
  • possible learning disabilities
  • emotional intelligence and areas needing attention
  • assessment of issues such as anxiety and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), consistent with the diagnostic categories of the American Psychiatric Association's (1994) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th Edition (DSM-IV).

In addition to the above, we can also offer both reading and spelling assessments, depending on the child's age and ability to read and write. These assessments can help support an IQ test result or pinpoint a learning difficulty.

The lengthy report received by parents lists results obtained on the day of the assessment. Each area is explained in terms of their significance, covering the child's intellectual potential, educational requirements and emotional learning needs. Recommendations at the end of the report include educational suggestions and additional assessment requirements, where needed.

 

If you have more questions please contact us:

Telephone: 0431 682 137

Postal address:
P.O. Box 3113 East Blaxland NSW 2774

Electronic mail:
info@cleverkidsconsultancy.com