How to get a home schooled student tested for giftedness?

Question

Our daughter has always displayed certain characteristics of being gifted but we've never had her tested. Of course the school district in our area tests for free, however, if she isn't enrolled in public school is she still entitled to be tested without charge? We still pay school taxes but I'm not sure if they will give us a problem. Another question, do you think it's actually necessary for one to know if a child is gifted and if so why? What difference would this make? Is there an advantage to knowing?

Pentacleric, I have no intention of using this as a bragging right. My daughter is approaching 3rd grade and if I felt I needed a title to brag about her I would have had her tested 3 or 4 years ago. Shame on YOU for insinuating it. I'm inquiring because I'd like to know if there is something I need to do in addition to what I do now. I'd like to know what to expect and to be able to understand if certain areas of her personality and characteristics are linked to giftedness. I'm also inquiring because I'd like to know if it's actually necessary for me to know. I'm very much afraid of titles and labels and because of that I've not wanted to know before, however, I want to be sure that it's okay if we continue in obscurity. If she is gifted this would not change who she is or how we see her but it may change how I teach or what I teach. As a parent I want to allow her every advantage educationally speaking. As I said I don't know if it's actually necessary for us to know or not. Thanks

Nothing would change if we knew for sure. I'd still continue this wonderful home schooling privilege, be there to teach her the things she is most interested in, and encourage her to use her talents to help others. My major reason for perhaps wanting to know is because I want to be certain I'm providing for her everything she needs. If a gifted child needs more than what she's getting I want to see to it that she gets it. I also wanted to know for the simple reasons of trying to understand certain facets of her personality like perfectionism. She's only eight so parenting for me is still relatively new. I am leaning more towards not knowing, however. I'm terrified of labeling and the responsibility that goes along with such labels. Thanks to everyone for all your insight; I have a lot to consider.

Answer 1

g, I speak as a former teacher and as a current homeschooling mom of a likely gifted daughter: you do not need to do the test. It's not likely going to tell you anything you don't already know and it's not going to help you in what you do with her. It doesn't make a difference knowing. There's no advantage or disadvantage to knowing as a homeschooler.

Schools often need to do the tests because they have to decide if a child can be admitted into a special program. That's it. There's no other reason really to do the tests, other than for curiosity's sake. But it's doubtful that the public schools will allow her to do the testing if she's homeschooled. What is done here and is how it's done in at least some other places is that the testing is paid for through special funds, perhaps given by the government, for enrolled students. If your daughter isn't in a public school, then the school isn't getting funds for the testing.

ADDED: You shouldn't need the label to know if you are challenging her enough. How much more would you challenge her simply because she's got a label? What if she's one point short of the label? Would that change anything for you? Take her where she's at. Try to stretch her limits here and there and you'll see where you are going too far. If you aren't going too far, then you stretch it more. This applies to ANY child, not just a gifted child.

How is knowing that she's gifted going to help you understand her perfectionism? Does it somehow change what you are dealing with? Change how you deal with it? It won't. There's nothing out there saying, "For gifted children, help them with their perfectionism by doing this. For all the others, do this." Perfectionism is perfectionism, plain and simple. It may accompany giftedness in many cases, but it's not different.

Answer 2

there should be independent testing services in your area, and teachers that specialize in working with homeschoolers for assessments. it's really difficult to say how they determine giftedness. When my daughter was about 12 or so, she did an assessment and in the reading an comprehension department, they had to stop the test (they test until you fail and then assess), because she just would not fail and they had other appointments! (money...I swear!)

She wasn't found to be gifted, but she was found to be reading into some lofty college level at the age of 12...which now that she is 19 hasn't improved greatly from then. She's bright, but...???

I don't really know what gifted means, since we have been homeschooling forever. I was sent to some gifted classes when I was in school years ago, but don't recall tht they stuck with it. It was some one time program.

As for what you migth do with that knowledge, I am sure you woudln't really do taht much different. you would still teach to the ability of the child. That migth mean gettimg some advanced help if she excels in say math or science and you don't feel you can't do it. I think that if you look at it critically, you'll be able to tell what she excels in, and go from there on your own. A standardized test might tell you how she fares against a standard in public school...but I'd be wary fo that: I think that they aveh dumbed it down in some ways, so it may not really be a good indicator. Good luck.

Answer 3

I had the same concerns for a few years, especially since all of the teachers my son had while in school recommended that he be tested. But then I realized that I really didn't need to know the answer to test scores to be able to observe my child's intelligence or to be able to teach him at an appropriate level. I have taught in public school, have gifted nieces, nephews, and cousins, and I have four children of my own. I recognize the signs of giftedness, so I don't see the need to put my child through the testing that would be involved in finding out his actual IQ score. I kind of think knowing that can do more harm than good.

You're teaching your daughter one on one, so you can see where you need to advance her curriculum--or skip parts--whatever. Any further information won't change that.

If you're just curious (which is understandable), call a child psychologist. They can generally perform IQ tests, but it will be pretty costly. You might check with a local university to see if there's some way to have a test done there for less expense. They may have students who are learning to give IQ tests. Check with your daughter though, she may not want to go through strenuous testing at her age, especially if there's no real reason to do it.

Answer 4

I think it's important for you to know if your child is gifted or if her intelligence is well above average. I attended public schools in Cleveland, Ohio, many years ago. When I was in the 4th grade, we took a P.L.R. (probable learning rate) test. After I was tested, the school administrators told my mother that I should attend a school for the gifted. I went to this school for a while, but for various reasons, my mother pulled me out of the school and sent me back to the neighborhood school.

Subsequent to this, I was very bored in school. Around the 7th grade, my grades started to drop and for a brief amount of time, I was a trouble maker; this didn't last for long. I soon resigned myself to the fact that school was no fun, wasn't intellectually stimulating, and a big bore. However, I became a voracious reader. This helped me to learn a lot more than I was learning in the neighborhood school.

Children who are gifted sometime"act out" from boredom, become underachievers if they are not intellectually stimulated, etc. As a home educator, you should learn all you can, and having your daughter tested will, I believe, help you to teach her appropriately; I would suggest that you have her tested--even if it costs you something. Hopefully, you can get it done via your public school system.

I hope this is helpful.

Answer 5

I had the same situation. Yes, the public school district has the obligation to test your child if you make the request. You need to contact the district in which you reside, even if you home school or are enrolled in a private school. However, there's a lot of red tape and it takes up to a year, after being put on a waiting list.
I decided to go to privately to a local psychologist who's trained to do these tests. She was wonderful. My child loved taking the test. I was so glad I had him tested. He's highly gifted. Yes, you do need to know for peace of mind, if not for any other reason. Gifted children learn faster and sometimes differently. After much frustration with first a private school, and then a gifted program in public school, I've decided to take matters into my own hands and home school. He's just not getting enough. He's bored and frustrated with regular school. This way he can learn at his own pace and explore his interests, as well as keep on track with a cirriculum of our choosing. That way he's not missing anything that other children are learning.
Also socially, you'll find that a gifted child gravitates to adults and older children or other gifted children. They just more comfortable around those who understand him/her. But it's not to say that they don't get along with other children. On the contary, age appropriate play is very important.
Just remember one important thing. Many people do not like to hear that you have a gifted child. They think you're bragging about your child and at the same time putting down theirs, which is not the case at all. So try and be sensitive to those you talk with. It's good to talk with parents of other gifted children, because they can empathise with you, and offer support and suggestions. Sometimes it's just good to talk about the quirks and nuances that your children may share. Also, close friends and family are good sounding boards.
Good luck.

Answer 6

Basically, you will have to pay to have her tested. This is true in most areas, regardless of if the child is learning disabled or gifted or has other special needs. Most school systems will not provide any testing or services for children who are being homeschooled...frustrating.

Testing can be done by qualifed child psychologists and is very rarely covered by health insurance (gifted testing even less than testing for learning disabilities). Cost will vary by where you live. I live in suburban MD (in a very exspensive district..that I will say) and we are planning to have our duaghter evaluated for learning disorders. The average quote I have been given is $1000.00...this will include all the testing, a written report and a session with the psychologist to go over the results. If I chose to skip the sit down session at the conclusion of testing, the cost drops to $850.

Unless you are planning to send your child back to public schools in the near future, there is little advantage in having the testing done. As a homeschooler, you can choose what curriculum level you teach. As long as you are meeting your state requirments, there is no stipulation of what grade goes to what age. I would suggest choosing her two best subjects and moving her up a curriculum level beyond where she would be/currently is. Let her move at her own pace...if she canhandle more work, give her more work. Just make sure she still gets the social opportunities she has always had. If that goes well and she is happy, you can push her entire curriculum up a notch or two. If there are areas she struggles with, let her work at her pace until she is ready to move on, while maintaining higher levels in her strong subjects. For example, my 13 yr. old is very strong in History and Literature..she is above grade level there. Science, spelling, geography she is grade level. Math is horrible for her...her processing disorder makes it hard as she can't recall basic math facts...and is working nearly two grade levels behind at that (and working with a tutor as well). The beauty of homeschool...make it work for your child!

Answer 7

I think the gifted label is just as harmful as any other label, and equally as false. A better description MIGHT be "atypical" or something...but then, everyone is in some way.

If you're letting her learn about whatever she loves, if you're nourishing her interests and nurturing her as an individual, then how will any label help? How will it help your relationship with her? How will it help her relate to the world and the information she chooses to take from the world? If it doesn't do anything to assist her, then there is no point.

One can understand and assist their child without a label to describe the way they learn. I have a child that would easily have gotten slapped with "LD" because he was a "late" reader. When he's 20 years old, will anyone know the different between him and someone that would have received the "gifted" label in school? I highly doubt it.

We all have strengths and weaknesses, we all have inborn talents and traits that set us apart from other people. Those that seem to show a strength in academic subjects, can be handed that false "gifted" label, but it certainly doesn't cover every talent and learning style that might be considered "gifted".

It's a narrow way to view a human. It's a narrow way to view learning. A child can be burdened by "gifted" just as easily as any "LD" or other label.

Let her be free of viewing herself throught that narrow lense.

Answer 8

Let me ask you this - what will change if you find out that your child is gifted? Say she's gifted in math - how will that change what you are doing with her? My son is likely gifted, but it wouldn't make a difference in what we do so I've never had him tested. This is unlike the public schools who are targeting kids for "special ed" (this title includes BOTH ends of the spectrum).

Testing by the public schools depends on where you live. Where we live, the public schools want nothing to do with homeschoolers (they're not receiving funding for our students so they see no reason to assist them). You could seek out a local psychologist who does educational testing, but, of course, you'd have to pay for it.

There are some programs for gifted kids that she might be eligible for (university-based academic talent search programs). If you are interested in these, you can google "academic talent search" and several programs will come up. Each program requires specific tests, so check out the requirements for the program you're interested in.

Otherwise, I see no benefit in knowing one way or the other.

Answer 9

My daughter got tested in Kindergarted when she started public school; they gave her the label "gifted." I think in the long run, it was a hinderance. They piled extra work on her when things were too easy in the class. They began to shuffle her around, sending her to a higher grade for certain subjects, and her regular grade in others-- in early elementary school. While she is extremely talented in reading/writing, socially and emotionally it was causing more problems.

I've had to struggle with her with that label when she started homeschooling. She expected gold stars and praises of glory for every little thing she did at first-- even if I knew she knew how to do it. See, she was used to teachers being impressed by her and making a big deal over things that came easy to her. At first, she insisted I write "As" on every paper.

When I started her on work that was more challenging, she nearly had a meltdown if it didn't come easy. If she missed one question on a worksheet she would become frustrated and discouraged. When we started in our homeschooling co-ops and there were some kids that outshined her in science class, she'd be annoyed, complain that she must not really be gifted, want to give up. She didn't, but it was a rough road for her the first couple of years.

It was a challenge for me, but I could see at that time it was worth it because for the first time in her life she was being challenged and pushed to rise up a little rather than just display what came easy. Homeschooling could be the best thing that ever happened to her-- she had to learn to stop worrying about labels and start being more concerned with what she was gaining in her education; she had to stop thinking that if something didn't come easy as pie to her and earn her a gold star that it wasn't worth it. She had to learn that to succeed, effort was more important than natural talent.

We actually did away with tests and grades altogether so she wouldn't become so focused on arbitrary measurements of success.

If I had to do it again, I woudn't ever test her, and I'd have homeschooled from the beginning ;-) I also won't have my boys tested. We still don't use tests and grades... we just keep learning, because it is necessary, fun, good, and beneficial.

MSB

Answer 10

I'm going to come down on the side most others haven't - get her tested.

Depending on your state laws (if gifted ed is mandated), you *should* be able to ask for a full evaluation from your school district. This is because they are required to identify all special ed kids. (In many states, GT programs fall under SpEd.) Just because you have the district test, which will be free for you, doesn't mean you'd have to enroll her in their district.

If you approach your district about testing, be well prepared to have data to back up your claim of her likely being gifted. You'll need test scores, academic progress, emotional development, early childhood development, etc. Part of the evaluation will be interviewing you about why you think your DD is gifted and you're going to need proof before they shell out the money for a school psych to do the eval - which is usually not only IQ testing, but also achievement testing.

You will also want to research the different tests to see which ones you want them to give. They may be limited on which tests they can do by what they have available, and which psych's are authorized to give certain tests.

The best place to go for information, including many "should I test or shouldn't I" articles, is Hoagies Gifted:

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org

Be prepared for an onslaught of info :-). There is also a great 'net board for HS gifted kids called TAGMAX. You can gain a ton of support there, also:

http://www.tagfam.org/

(Go to "mailing lists" then "subscribe" - you can go no mail or digest, which is nice. You can also search the archives.)

Why do I say you should test? Because I've BTDT with my son and it was completely worth it. We've always HS'ed him (at the advice of our district when he was 4) and the district knew that, but the agreed to testing when he was 7 and in the "8th month of 1st grade", which is what his norms we based on - it was the grade he would have been in had he been in PS.

Age 7-8 is actually the best age to test, so I'd look into soon if you're going to pursue it.

My son has struggled a lot with perfectionism over the years, too. It gets better as he matures and learns to cope better.

One responder mentioned the academic talent searches. My son participated in the MATS EXPLORE testing this year through Northwestern's CTY program. Last year we resided in the Duke TIP area. I think the EXPLORE testing was even more beneficial than his IQ/achievement testing. However, without some former test scores (he qualified alone from his standardized testing), you cannot apply to be in the program. So the scores were helpful there.

Testing is a great idea for GT kids so you can search for hidden disabilities that may be masked behind the asynchronous development of these kids. One of my best friend's DDs had a hidden dyscalculia LD that showed up with testing. Other kids have dysgraphia, or other "twice exceptional" areas that show up with testing.

What was especially helpful fur us was to see, on paper, a "picture" of our son. Yes, as HS parents, we knew pretty much spot-on how he'd test academically. Seeing it on paper was helpful not so much in the areas he was very advanced in, but for seeing the areas he was just a little ahead in, or at age-level in. Then we could plan out his accomodations and "telescoping" of course work. For instance, he resisted spelling work and anything handwritten. Well, his spelling tested at one grade level ahead - which is where he was working - so it *should* have been challenging for him - or at least not come easy. The writing skill tested right at his age level. So when he was doing math 3-4 yrs ahead and getting frustrated with all the writing involved, we could accomodate that and allow him to answer orally, or type. The psych agreed that this was a good way to let his brain work at the level it needed to, w/o stressing his writing stamina.

The end result of our testing was the district telling us that HS *was* the best option for him. They said there was nothing they could do if he were enrolled. The only thing they could come up with was letting him take middle school science courses (we didn't want that - he was 7!), or attend chess club at the high school, or have a high school Nat'l Honor Society member mentor him. They gave us an option of an "IEP by consult" and said we could tell them what we wanted/needed and they'd do it. They'd allow him to be dually enrolled in PS and HS and be there for support as he needed things. We didn't pursue it and then we moved.

We are also in the process of applying to the Davidson Young Scholars program, which could be extremely helpful not only for our son, but for us also. We couldn't apply without the scores we have.

So the short of it (sorry I got long-winded!) is that you need to spend time on the Hoagies site and decide for yourself. If you don't, or can't, have the school district do it, you could always pay for it out of pocket - but it's very pricey and unless you think you have an extremely or profoundly gifted child, I wouldn't spend the money unless it's running out your ears ;-).

So know, it's not absolutely necessary, but it can be extremely helpful.

Let me know if you want more input. You can email me.