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Beyond smart

How to get your child tested for giftedness

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Originally published on TodaysParent.com October 01, 2011

In grade one, Bradley Thompson disrupted the class constantly and wasn’t performing well despite exceptional language skills. His mother, Ellen, booked an appointment with a private psychologist for testing. Within three weeks, she learned her son’s results: gifted. After a couple of years in a private Montessori class, Bradley is thriving in a Toronto public school classroom for gifted students, where his peers trade 600-page novels, whiz through the curriculum and enjoy regular field trips to museums and other outings.

Your child may be brilliant as far as you’re concerned — but no matter how bright, kids will need a formal evaluation before a school gives them the extra stimulation they need to be successful. Programs and testing vary between districts and schools, but here’s how students are assessed in two Toronto boards.

Toronto District School Board

Timeline In grade three, teachers or parents nominate students for gifted programming. If parents nominate their children, a school support team decides whether the request has merit. The gifted program begins in grade four.

Process A psychologist conducts an individual intelligence test called WISC (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children), which tests aspects of intelligence such as verbal comprehension and perceptual reasoning (testing can take from two to three hours). The psychologist may recommend modifying lessons or note a sensitivity to sound or touch that might be affecting the child’s performance. A student may have a learning disability but still qualify as gifted.

Advantage The WISC is considered a comprehensive, accurate test of cognitive ability. The psychologist spends time establishing a rapport with your child and allows for breaks between subtests.

Disadvantage Parents can wait more than a year for board-funded evaluation. Private testing may be an option.

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