Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy What if our son isn't gifted just advanced?

I always recommend starting here: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/psychologists.htm

Hoagies is a WONDERFUL website, and the testers you'll find here have been recommended by parents and educators who care about GT education. They're "vetted," if you will.

If you find a tester not on the list and feel the person is good for GT kids, then please e-mail Carolyn at Hoagies and ask her to add the person to the list. She's grateful for the help, and you will help other parents in your same situation.

Okay, so anyone have any testers in CA they want to recommend?

As for what to tell the child, I wouldn't get into "what do you want to do about school?" with him yet. There are plenty of options, but kids generally fear change. There's no reason to go there yet. Get him tested, consider your options, decide what you think is best for him under the circumstances. THEN start finding ways to make that work for him. Find out what his fears are and work to address those. But just saying "Do you want to skip a grade?" probably isn't going to be met with joy by very many kids, not even really, really GT ones.

I don't have any help but I do understand how you feel. Is he gifted? Is he not gifted? Sometimes I think he's exceptionally gifted and sometimes I think he's below gifted (sometimes below average). Most of the time, though, he's MG-HG. And, then there's that pesky asynchronous develepmont thing . . . this morning he's acting like he's 2 (he's 7). I'll repeat what others have said "go with your gut". And, if you do the testing and he turns out not to be gifted, well, then, so what? The world will continue, he'll continue to learn, you'll continue to love him, and he'll grow up knowing you did what you could for him.

ETA: I didn't mean to sound flippant. I know it's a sensitive and emotional subject. I think sometimes I let it consume me and it really doesn't matter all that much, as long as he and you are happy with him.