Have Your Child Tested
If you suspect that your child may have above-average academic abilities, the next step is to define the nature and extent of those abilities. For many people, the idea of testing equates to assigning an IQ score. IQ, however, is only a small part of the overall picture parents and educators must paint in order to properly understand and address a child’s giftedness.Research has shown that children with advanced intellectual abilities benefit academically, socially, and emotionally when grouped with their intellectual peers in an appropriately challenging curriculum. The ultimate goal of testing, therefore, is to determine the child’s strengths and weaknesses relative to social and educational settings. As a result, schools have begun to rely on more comprehensive skills assessment tools such as Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Third Edition (WPPSI-III), or the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) to help identify and define academic ability. These test results, along with the observations of current and former teachers, help educators develop deeper insight into the unique skill set of each gifted child. With a more fully realized picture of the child’s abilities, parents and educators can place that child in learning environments that will offer the most opportunity to discover his or her potential. For a list of licensed psychologists in our region who administer the Stanford-Binet intelligence test, Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Third Edition (WPPSI-III), or the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), please click here.
