Who do I contact to find out if my child is gifted and talented?

Question

I completely understand the arrogant parent thing. I have definately questioned myself on that numerous times. Am I looking for whats not there?

However, my husband is very intelligent, his sister is top 2% of the country and my YOUNGEST daughter (I have 3 kids and another on the way) has shown signs of being above her age inteligent wise. I find it difficult to know how and what to continualy keep her occupied with. It is a path I wished to investigate.

Answer 1

This is a good site to look at for gifted kids:

http://www.nagty.ac.uk/

My 12 year old son is on the G & T register locally since age 9 and has been asked by his high school teachers to submit an application form to NAGTY. The site has a lot of good information on so it's well worth a look.
From a personal point of view, if your child is gifted and talented the local Gifted and Talented register can make a huge positive impact on your child. It has given my son opportunities to take part in events, classes, trips and summer schools for free that I would not have otherwise been able to afford. As for people claiming that it's only pushy parenting: sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. My son excels at things that I'm no good at and hasn't had a privileged upbringing by any means. In fact quite the opposite.
Often school teachers will approach parents of pupils that they think would qualify as G & T. I was told about my sons' abilities at a parents evening and was quietly delighted as my son has speech and developmental dyspraxia and has worked his way through primary school trying extra hard to be understood and fit in.
My advice would be to have a word with his teacher and ask how your child is doing compared to national guidelines to get an idea of how well they are doing. Don't compare to friends' kids or others in their class as this won't give you an accurate picture. If it looks promising then ask about any local G & T resources. My area has a local Bright Sparks program that organises extra curriculum activities for kids on the G & T register. There may be something similar available for you too.

Hope this helps, and good luck with whichever course of action you decide to follow.

Answer 2

Take your child into the school that they attend and speak to your principal directly. Let the principal know what your thoughts are. The principal already has annual state (and perhaps quarterly) assessment scores there in the building. This information will provide immediate feedback for your query. If your child is showing promise of being an exceptional child (gifted), then make a request for the child to be placed into a more challenging learning environment within the school so that they may maximize their learning potential.

Answer 3

Honestly, if your child is getting very good grades in school, the school will probably give him a test to determine whether he/she should be in a gifted program (after getting in contact with you and/or your spouse, first). Well, it depends on the state you live in, but many states mandate that school districts have programs for the gifted and talented kids. You might have to wait until your child is in 2nd-5th grade, though.

That's what happened to me, at least. My teachers contacted my mother, and she agreed to let me take a test at the end of second grade so that I could try to get into the gifted program. I failed then, but then my teachers gave me another opportunity to take the test in 5th grade, and I passed it that time. Therefore, I got to be in the gifted program for the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. There was no gifted program for high school students.

Answer 4

I'm a secondary school teacher, and my advice would be to forget about it. Gifted and talented is just a means for us to assess which children need extra stimulation in the classroom. There are gifted and talented programmes to encuorage certain aspects, but your school will contact you if any of these apply.
Just encourage them to be the best they can be without putting a label on it...you don't want them to remember you in years to come as a pushy parent!

Answer 5

Is your child in school? You can request that he/she be tested and evaluated. If your child is not in school yet, please don't worry about getting this label. Just allow your child to grow and develop at his or her own pace. Read to your child, count with your child, go outside and run around together. Go to the museum and the park together. Paint pictures, and make play dough and then play with it together. Talk, and listen. Language development depends on your active participation and on your listening, really listening, to what your child has to say. "Gifted and Talented" is really just a label. Every child has gifts and talents, so help your child to grown and develop whatever gifts and talents he/she has and don't worry about that label. Once your child is in school, the testing is beneficial, but not essential, because it will allow your child to access certain educational services. So the testing might be desirable at that point, but for now, please just let your child grow and develop, and enjoy watching him/her grow!

Answer 6

You need to contact your child's school GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) coordinator and request that your child is tested for GATE. However, if your child qualifies, don't be fooled by your child's participation in the program... you need to find out how much the program is developed in your child's school because sometimes GATE programs aren't very beneficial. I would recommend that you do your best to work with your child at home to improve his/her skills in all areas. =)

Answer 7

In every school I have worked in we have had a gifted and talented coordinator - a teacher who basically coordinates the programme for the school. They would be the best person to get in touch with at your childs school.

Answer 8

Your child is probably the same as 90% of others, but as a parent you will always think yours is the best. I don't want kids because I don't want to be the arrogant parent. I don't like kids probably because I can't stand the parents and this reflects on the poor child.
Incidentally - contact MENSA as they have tests designed to find the I.Q. of all ages.

Answer 9

let your child carry on as a normal child, encouraging their gifts as you go instead of looking for people to poke prod and assess.

Answer 10

what level of work is she doing can she do what your oldest is doing? if so test her personally to see what she can do.... if she is not like 5 years ahead of herself I would let her do her thig and be glad you do not have to worry about her in school