Is Your Child Gifted? Some Answers for Jacksonville Moms

Gifted ChildThere are many educational issues that impact Jacksonville moms. Potentially, one of these issues is in having a gifted or twice exceptional child. Giftedness is typically tested through an IQ test, but there are other kinds of giftedness, too, like musical and artistic giftedness, and leadership giftedness. I help families with intellectual giftedness issues. If you suspect that your child is out of sync with her classmates and curriculum and this is causing stress, boredom, and other issues, then perhaps you should seek IQ testing. This might help:

Possible reasons to pursue testing:

  • The child reads or does math a couple of grade levels beyond his peers at a young age
  • The child has verbal abilities or abstract reasoning abilities well beyond her peers

And

  • The child is bored or unhappy at school
  • The child seems out of sync and has trouble making friends because his interests are so different
  • The parents are interested in gifted schools or camps

In some counties, testing can be done for free by calling the county’s educational services, or by having the child’s school contact these services. Each county has its own rules regarding gifted testing and placement in gifted services. If you prefer, there are clinics like Hope Haven, wherein some people can have their testing covered by insurance. Lastly, there are private testers. I have one that I recommend to people, feel free to contact me if you want more information. Whichever method you choose, know that the tester herself has a big impact on the results of the test. IQ testing is in part subjective, a good relationship between tester and child is important and a tester who “gets” gifted kids is important.

2E or Twice Exceptional

Being twice exceptional means being gifted and… as in gifted and ADHD, gifted and dyslexia, gifted and autism spectrum disorder, etc. These kids can be hard to identify in that many cope with their disabilities so well that they don’t seem to have a learning disability when they do (and need help), or they are hard to test in IQ testing because of their other exceptionality. These children are both bored and overstimulated at the same time, both ahead and behind at the same time. It can be very frustrating for them.

School ChildrenClassroom differentiation is usually not enough for gifted and 2E kids and it is usually not done properly. Something like a separate spelling list or extra homework is not class differentiation. Oftentimes, these children need a separate curriculum in their area of strength, one that might delve deeper into the material or be several grade levels ahead.

Knowing HOW gifted a child is also matters, as there are different kinds of giftedness, requiring different accommodations. These are labels like moderately gifted, highly gifted, and profoundly gifted. Teachers often do not understand that gifted children might not be the ones in the room with the highest grades or the neatest work. This can be confusing for teachers, who typically have not been taught much about the gifted world.

Some gifted programs are good, while others are frankly, a waste of time. Parents need to be involved to advocate for their children if the programs aren’t meeting the needs of the child. Some parents of gifted and 2E children chose to homeschool, at least temporarily.

Luckily, Jacksonville has many non academic opportunities for gifted and twice exceptional children to thrive. Museums like the Cummer, the zoo, antique stores, and theatrical productions are the kinds of places where a gifted child can learn outside the classroom and explore the world around her. In addition, once a child is in high school, serving the needs of the gifted becomes easier with the various magnet programs like the AP programs, IB programs, and AICE programs. An arts school like Douglas Anderson is also a great possibility for some of these students. There are good books about these issues; one to check out is A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children by James T Webb.

Lynn Marlowe
Lynn is an advocate working with children, parents, teachers, and administrators to provide answers to the many questions raised in educating gifted and twice exceptional children. She also works with families who wish to homeschool. After obtaining her MA in history from NYU, she worked in K-12 education as a high school history teacher, an elementary and middle school substitute, an elementary ESL teacher, and an adult ESL teacher before teaching college both in brick and mortar classrooms and online. Faculty positions have included Los Angeles City College, Pasadena City College, American Public University System, and several more. She has also written and/or edited several publications including the GRE History Review, SAT Subject Test Guide in History,and the GED Social Studies Guide for the Research and Education Association. Having been in K-12 and college classrooms for over 20 years, she was plunged into the world of gifted and 2E education by the journey she took with her own children. This included working with schools to accommodate the children and homeschooling. As a gifted advocate, she has been working with families and teachers for several years and has taken multiple graduate and continuing education courses in gifted and 2E issues. These courses have included topics on intensities in gifted children, acceleration, underachievement, perfectionism, anti-intellectualism, executive functioning, and specific curricula for gifted children. She has also attended conferences in gifted education and the needs of gifted people.

28 COMMENTS

  1. I attempted to email the address listed above, however my email bounced back. Is there an alternative method of communication to obtain your recommendation for a provider to provide private testing.

  2. Hi Lynn,

    I was interested in testing my 10 year old son who is going to be in middle school this coming school year tested privately for the gifted program. Would you be able to give me some contact information of people/offices you recommend for the testing? Thank you for your time,

  3. Anyone interested in obtaining gifted evaluation services might consider the following group: http://pecgroup4kids.com/
    I’m a parent of young children and also a fellow licensed school psychologist and I highly recommend this group of my colleagues. They’re professional, friendly, and all have many years of experience within the public school districts and can be of great assistance in guiding parents in obtaining services. Best wishes!

  4. Hi Lynn,

    I’d love to get your recommendation for who to see for private gifted testing.

    Thanks!
    Ashley Gearen

  5. Hello hello. If anyone wants some free gifted and talented practice for their children, I’ve started to post test prep material, as well as my NNAT Level A Workbook, on my site.
    As the former NYC Regional Director of Bright Kids, I know the exams like the back of my hand. The material is free in order to create greater access to the G&T program to greater portion of the population. Enjoy and spread the word.
    More free material is on the way!
    http://www.equality.education

  6. Hello,
    I just wanted to leave a message that I am still available for gifted testing, but am now located in Nocatee with an updated phone number: 904 302-4784. I still service all areas of Jacksonville and St. Augustine to help parents determine their child’s potential for the most optimum educational settings. Please feel free to contact me.
    Karen Weisman http://www.GiftedEvaluationServices.com

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here