Gifted Testing
Why schedule a gifted evaluation?
Gifted evaluations are important for several reasons. They provide an accurate and objective measure of an individual's exceptional abilities, helping to dispel myths or misconceptions about giftedness. Secondly, they enable educators and parents to make informed decisions about educational placement and enrichment opportunities that can maximize the potential of gifted individuals. Additionally, they help prevent underachievement or boredom in school by tailoring the curriculum to the intellectual and creative needs of these students. Gifted kids may struggle with things like perfectionism, feeling different from their peers, or having high expectations of themselves, which can sometimes lead to anxiety or stress. Ultimately, gifted evaluations support the holistic development of gifted individuals, fostering their intellectual, emotional, and social growth.
Gifted youth benefit from specialized educational accommodations to foster their unique talents, promote their engagement in learning, and help them reach their full potential. Providing gifted learners with an appropriate education is not just about academics. Meeting the cognitive needs of gifted students often simultaneously supports their social-emotional needs.
How do I know if my child is a gifted learner?
Think about your child. If you respond “yes” to following questions below an intellectual assessment may be helpful to determine if your child needs enrichment programming or an advanced curriculum at their school.
Has your child's teacher commented that your child is performing exceptionally well?
Has your child's teacher mentioned that your child is possibly more advanced than what is typical of grade-level peers?
Does your child complete their classwork early?
Does your child become bored and possibly even disruptive in class?
Does your child have a strong sense of curiosity? Perhaps your child is highly enthusiastic about a unique interest.
Does your child grasp new information quickly without much repetition?
Why test privately when the school does it for free?
There are many reasons for choosing private testing. The most common one is a desire to have it done more quickly; schools frequently have a waiting list of up to several months. In addition, children can become nervous about the prospect of testing at school. Often they do not know the examiner and have little warning before the actual time of testing. Some parents are concerned that their children may not perform at their best under such circumstances. A third reason may be that the child has been tested before but did not meet the criteria the first time. Private testing gives a child a second chance, possibly under more optimal conditions (e.g., a quieter setting, more breaks if needed).
How long does the process take?
Testing typically takes approximately 60 minutes or less. After testing, scoring and feedback are given within 48 hours.
What will my child be asked to do? Can they "study?"
Although different IQ tests use different formats, common activities include defining or comparing words and verbal concepts, putting blocks or puzzle pieces together, recalling things they have just heard or seen, and analyzing patterns of pictures. As we cannot reveal the exact nature of the items on the tests, there is no real way to "study" for it. Indeed, IQ tests ideally try to measure children's ability to "figure out" novel problems by themselves, problems they have never seen before. Teaching children how to answer the questions does not yield a valid or "true" IQ result. You are then just measuring their ability to do what they have already been shown how to do - which is a very different skill than solving a problem independently.
To prepare your child, you can ensure that your child is well-rested the morning of testing, that he/she understands that it is OK to guess or to not know something, and that he/she knows that there will be some challenging questions that they haven't learned yet.
In describing it to children, I recommend calling it "brain exercises" or "finding out how you learn best" or "getting ready for (the next) grade" or something similar that will let them know it is serious and not just "playing games."
Where does testing take place?
The testing takes place in a local library or I can come to your home to do the testing in a private space. At your home, all cameras and listening devices (such as Alexa) must be disabled during the entire assessment. If I have concerns about such devices, I reserve the right to discontinue testing as the materials must be kept confidential. I work in Pinellas County only.
How soon can I get the results?
I can e-mail you a copy of the results within 24 hours.
How soon can I schedule an appointment?
I usually have openings anywhere from immediately to within a week or two depending on the time of year. Weekend appointments available.
Only a parent or legal guardian can consent to testing. I will require you to sign a legal parental consent form describing both of our rights and responsibilities in this situation before I work with your child.
When we set up the appointment, I will ask for basic demographic information. I also need to know the name of any previous IQ tests taken within the last year, as a child cannot take the exact same test twice within 12 months.
Who sees the results?
I give the report only to you. All results are confidential unless you choose to share them.
What is the fee? What forms of payment do you accept?
The fee is $150 and includes testing, scoring, and test results. An interpretive report can be emailed for an additional cost. All payments are made the day before testing through the client portal.
The test given is the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales, Second Edition (RIAS-2). It has 4 parts, including solving word riddles, completing word analogies, identifying a picture that does not belong with the others, and identifying a missing feature in a picture. It involves only one-word answers or multiple-choice questions. This is the test the school uses most often and is suitable for individuals ages 3-94 years.