Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Question about nominator for DYS application

We just got our DS (7 yo) tested with WISC test, and he met the criteria for DYS application, and he also hit the ceiling for Visual Spatial (scored 155) and didn't meet the discontinuation criterion of both subtests, the psychologist let him work on the WAIS materials for Visual Spatial after that, just to get some data for us.

I am looking at DYS application packet, and there was requirement for someone to fill out nominator form. We are at a school where we have not "come out" about his giftedness. He is a conforming kid, and so far is happy there, the school is great about supporting his social emotional needs, and fostering his love of learning, but he is not doing advanced work at school. One main issue we have is in the summer when we have to find 10 weeks worth of activities, and he wants to do a lot of lego projects, but the lego camps are "boring and too easy". I enrolled him to tech camps for 8-12, that taught programming, game design and robotic, and he felt it was just right, but I fear he might outgrow that in a year or two. So that's really the area where we can probably use DYS as a resource. As a 6 years old last year, he was already independently building lego sets for adults that had up to 5000+ pieces, and he also does his own designs. In visual spatial area, at least in building projects, he has always been at prodigious level since around age 3.

So my question is what do I do with the nominator form given that we haven't come out. He is a conforming kid, not bored at school. Science teacher said that he is strong in the science classroom, but this is not a school that is huge in accelerating the kids, which is why I think I can use DYS to find me resources for enrichment, etc. Most importantly, we have never mentioned about giftedness at school and I don't feel like coming out yet, because I don't feel that there are any issues we have at school. Are nominators usually coming from school? What have others done in our situation?

Thanks.

Just want to add another information. His visual spatial score is in the extended norms. The psychologist said he got 155 as a low estimate, because he could just keep going, which is why she gave him the adult materials. My understanding is that the extended norms for WISC V has not been published, so we don't know what his real VS score might have been.

His being advanced in visual spatial is consistent with what we see at home when he is doing individual building projects. He could read blue prints very well from very young age, and can design pretty complicated structures as well. But somehow, I cannot shake this doubt: Is this result real? Does it really mean something? I guess I am just kind of used to seeing him as bright, but not necessarily to what the test is trying to tell me (extended norms and stuff), plus with what they say in Nurture Shock, and what other parents say (IQ test is not reliable esp for young children, etc). I work with a lot of people who are bright and who don't believe on IQ test esp for younger kids, so I cannot shake this feeling, and feel confused whether I've been doing the right thing with my kid, given that he is happy, and not sure about what I can do for him (especially to support his hobbies and summer). I have a day job and am not available to him as much as I'd like to, and baby sister has special need that takes all of my time.

We actually discussed about his extreme abilities with his preK teachers. But that was 2-3 years ago, do you think we can use past teachers as nominator? I don't feel like coming out in the current school.

Might the teacher/leader/facilitator from this past Summer's Lego program or tech camp make a good nominator? Was s/he aware that your DS was a 7yo in the program designed for children 8-12, and did well with the projects/instruction designed for children 1-5 years older than himself?