My 8 year old was recently assessed by a clinical psychologist as being highly gifted, as a result of having her evaluated for ADHD at her school's request (which she doesn't have). He also said that she has trouble processing information, which is why she appeared to always be distracted.
The trouble is I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the label gifted - she's not doing algebra or speaking Chinese or reading War & Peace like some of the kids I've read about here. She's in math and reading enrichment classes at school but she's not the only kid from her class doing that.
I can't work out whether it's that I don't believe she can do those things, or that she simply hasn't had the opportunity to do those things.
He said we should consider looking at dedicated gifted schools for her, but I'm concerned that since she's only been doing regular schoolwork for the last 3 years, she'll be too far behind and feel like she doesn't measure up. But on the other hand, I'm worried that if we leave her in public school she'll only continue to receive extra study in math and language arts, and the rest of what she could gain from a gifted school will fall by the wayside.
I should mention that I'm not comfortable in my own ability to homeschool her or even supplement a lot of stuff. I don't have a college degree, and really struggle with studying myself.
Has anyone else felt this way after hearing their child is gifted? I know most parents know it from an early age, but we were always discouraged from trying to single her out as being anything more than 'a little ahead'.
