Children who are gifted demonstrate an advanced ability or potential in one or more specific areas when compared to others of the same age. Gifted children excel in their ability to think, reason and judge, making it necessary for them to receive special educational services and support to be able to fully develop their potential and talents.
Certain characteristics of gifted children include:
- advanced vocabulary,
- exceptional reading ability,
- independence and strive for independence,
- exceptional memory and attentiveness,
- creativity,
- ability to exercise constructive self-criticism,
- keen sense of humour,
- advanced social skills.
Psychological assessments for giftedness
Identifying giftedness early during a child’s development is important in helping them receive the academic and socio-emotional support they require. If you think your child is showing signs of advanced abilities, the first step is to seek a psychological assessment. This involves comparing a child’s performance on an intellectual quotient (IQ) test to the performance of other children the same age and sex on the same tasks. A performance that is notably above the average indicates exceptional (i.e. gifted) cognitive abilities. An IQ score of 130 and above is generally required to identify a gifted child. This equates to an intellectual ability that is greater than 95% of children at the same age level. IQ tests are most reliable and predictive when they are administered to children aged 6 years and upwards. The most widely accepted, reliable and valid IQ test for children is the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – 5th Edition (WISC-V) for which there are Australian norms.
Your child may also benefit from an academic functioning test such as the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test – 3rd Edition (WIAT-III). This will give information as to how they are performing relative to peers of the same-age and same-grade in terms of academic achievement levels (e.g. literacy and numeracy). Assessment using the WIAT-III can be important in evaluating whether your child is receiving adequate academic support at school.
In addition to standardised IQ and academic functioning tests, psychological assessments involve behavioural observations of a child’s approach to assessment tasks. Gifted children often display a lack of motivation when tasks are too easy or fail to stimulate them and they may show more interest in the testing process as the difficulty of tasks increases. They may also approach test items in unusual or imaginative ways, they may ask questions about subtests to clarify their meaning, and they may engage the interviewer in conversations about different topics the subtests reminded them of.
Furthermore, information provided by parents and teachers is equally important in identifying gifted children. Knowledge about their early development, milestone achievement, interaction with others, and behavioural characteristics all contribute to the identification of a gifted child.
If you think your child is displaying advanced abilities for their age, an IQ and academic functioning assessment is an important step in to assist them getting the support they require at school and at home. Please get in touch to discuss more.