Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment So many acronyms, where to start ?

The people on this board seen to know a tremendous amount of info on different kind of tests and what wash kind of score, subtext etc means.

Is there a comprehensive source for this kind of info ?

What I have been able to gather is that there are iq tests and tests that measure other things.

Where do I start ?

I am sensing that when I approach the recommended professionals they usually want t know what I want tested.

Welcome!

Acronyms are covered in this thread: List of Common Gifted Acronyms.

Lots of information on tests can be found by searching these forums, the Davidson Database, Hoagies Gifted Education Page, and/or doing a web search for the specific test, subtest, and/or index.

Basically there are IQ tests, and achievement tests.

IQ tests consist of several subtests, and each subtest measures a component of intelligence.

If a professional asks what you want tested, they may be asking if you've observed signs which may cause you to suspect giftedness, learning disability, or giftedness plus learning disability (2e, twice exceptional).

Because you've specified, in your previous posts, wanting your seven-year-old to take the SAT-10 test, a professional may also be asking why you want that particular assessment instrument to be utilized. For example, are scores from that particular test to be used as entrance criteria or qualification for a specific program? Is it a test which your child has been prepped for? Might a different test instrument be administered which would still meet your goals for having your child tested?

Yes there are IQ tests and then there a tests that test lots of other things.

Where to start? Start with a qualified psychologist and tell them why you are looking to test. Do you suspect your child is gifted? Do you suspect they are gifted but there is something else also going on (2e)? You could also describe your situation here and it is highly likely that there will be someone that will be able to point you in the right direction.

Many psychologists will start with an IQ test and then use that to figure out if they want to pursue further testing.

Here's a couple links that might also help -
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/tests_tell_us.htm
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/assessing_gifted.htm

Most people end up doing the WISC (version V is now out but you will many references to IV here and even III if you are reading older articles). There are then many acronyms for the various parts of the test.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wechsler_Intelligence_Scale_for_Children

I think there is a post here about the V and the associated acronyms.

The psychologist we tested with was very good at explaining all of the results and what they meant. We came out of testing with 14-15 page reports that were very informative. When shopping around for a tester, that is something to inquire about.