Do you wonder if your child is gifted?  

Do you need to have IQ testing done for your children for private school admission?  

Are you considering IQ testing? Have you tried googling IQ testing and gifted testing in an attempt to figure out what it is?  It’s difficult to find accurate information on the internet about IQ testing and gifted evaluations.  Let’s clear up some of the usual questions.

There are very clear distinctions between a bright child and a gifted learner. School districts typically follow very distinct protocols to identify children for gifted programs. Usually, the needs of the gifted child cannot be met in the regular classroom. Teachers often love the bright child, since they are wonderful, attentive students, whereas gifted students can sometimes be challenging in the classroom, and teachers may not easily connect with them.  Click HERE to read about the difference between a child that is gifted versus one that is bright.

Teachers typically identify students they think might be gifted based on scores on standard tests such as MAP tests and state assessments, the type of work the child produces in the classroom and their characteristics.  If the school has a gifted program, the next step might be for the gifted teacher to work with the child for a short period of time in order to observe and evaluate the child’s work and thinking process.  Based on this, the school may recommend the child be evaluated by a school psychologist to determine whether or not they meet the standards for admittance to the school district’s gifted program.  Every district has different standards and different ways to run programs for gifted learners.  Some schoosl pull gifted learners out of their normal classroom to participate in gifted programming.  Other schools create a classroom with all gifted children.  Some schools require students score in the 99th percentile on a standard IQ test.  Others have slightly lower criterion.

For children older than 6, schools use the results from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children®-Fifth Edition (WISC®-V)  or the Woodcock-Johnson IV.  Schools usually use something called a General Ability Index (GAI) for gifted determination in addition to or in place of a Full Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) score. The GAI provides an estimate of general intellectual ability, with reduced emphasis on working memory and processing speed.

Sometimes, a gifted child is not identified through the usual process at school. In this case, parents may choose to have their child evaluated for giftedness by a trained professional. This evaluation includes a brief interview with the parents and administering an IQ test to the child.

One of our SANA professionals, Heather England, provided IQ testing at SANA prior to COVID.  She is currently taking a hiatus from testing.  If you would like a referral for IQ testing, please see the list of recommended providers HERE.