Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment To DYS or Not to DYS

I have been on the fence for some time about whether my DS7 is truly a candidate for DYS. He meets the test score criteria (as noted below), but when I reach the question about "prodigious talent" on the application, I am at a bit of a loss. He has a broad set of interests and participates in things he really loves, like drama workshops, community sports programs and science camp. Fortunately, we are also able to expose him to loads of the arts (concerts, plays, museums, etc.). As of yet, he has not expressed a deep interest in developing a particular talent. Am I reading too much into these questions? Is there truly an expectation among DYS participants that, by this age, something would have "clicked"? If anyone has had similar feelings about entering the DYS process, I would love to know how your situation resolved.

WISC-IV results @6yrs8mos:
VCI 144; PRI 139; WMI 123; PSI 103
Sim 17; Voc 16; Comp 19
Block Des 13; Pic Con 19; Mat Res 17
Dig Sp 15; L-N Seq 13; Cod 12; Sym Srch 9
FSIQ 138
GAI 151
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KTEA-II
Nonsense Wd Decd 153
Ltr & Word Rec 149
Rdg Comp 145
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WIAT-II
Rdg Composite 153
MathComposite 160
Written Lang 146

Hi -

Our ds10 had very similar results on the WISC when he was tested at 6 1/2. He took the WJ, not WIAT; his scores on it were similar to your son's.

I have doubts similar to yours about my son. The PG label doesn't fit him, IMO. He's fairly laid back - has never seemed to have that really fierce drive to learn that I've read about in descriptions of PG kids. (I see it in a classmate of his, who is a DYS.)

OTOH #1: Another DYS mom ( who's more involved in Davidson than I am) remarked to me once that among DYS's there are the majority who are like my kid and a minority who are really unusual.

About the talent thing: Back when ds was 6 or 7, he didn't have a particular talent yet, either - loved reading, liked math and was really good at both.

OTOH #2: In the 3 years since then, he has developed a talent (in math). Likewise, your son may 'take off' in a certain area at some point in the next few years.

We applied to Davidson on our son's behalf about 18 months after testing. It wasn't because of any urgent need (we'd found the right school by then, so he had a good academic environment and peers / friends), but just because the scores were about to hit the 2-year mark and become invalid.

It was tedious, especially since I didn't have good notes from ds's early years to help me in answering the developmental questions, but dh thought Davidson might come in handy down the road.

We haven't been to the annual gathering yet, but do rely on our family consultant for great expert advice about curriculum management and choosing ds's next school. The head of ds's current school is a big fan of Davidson, which I think makes it easier to persuade him to tweak his curriculum when ds needs more challenge.

Hope this helps -hip

Quick question on DYS. The 2 yr old test score requirements only applies to the most recent test, correct? For instance, if the IQ test was done 3 yrs ago and the Achievment last year, we could still use the IQ tests right?

Thanks!

I would hazard a guess that more than a few people have felt this way during the application process. DS doesn't have any 'prodigious talent' that I'm aware of, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's not there or won't develop later. Then again, he may never be 'prodigious' in anything, but he's different enough that we figured it could only be helpful and certainly couldn't hurt to have the resources that DYS provides, if he was accepted. And yes, I feel that there are probably a great many more kids whose abilities/talents/etc. far surpass DSs.

FWIW, on the application, I think I said that I didn't see any prodigious talent, but explained things that I thought were pertinent or relevant to DS and let them decide.

Good luck to you.

It's a good idea to apply if you have score. Don't worry about the word "prodigious". Where is his highest scores? You could mention something that relates to that or something he is passionate about.

I see no reason NOT to apply. That being said, I had a very hard time with that particular question in the application. I think it might make more sense for older kids. I would find it even harder to answer for the 5 year olds!

I found that once I started typing, it all came together. It was not when I jotted down some notes, but in the actual writing.

For our dd (we applied when she was 6); it is story telling where she seems more out there compared to her peers, so that is what we used for that.

I think you have to consider that "prodigious" doesn't necessarily mean Mozart like piano or cancer research in the lab at 6! When I started thinking about it, my DS has a very clear prodigious talent for Pokemon ;-) He has memorized nearly 500 cards, the strengths, weaknesses, hit points etc. Is it going to win him a Nobel Prize? No... but Pokemon is just his thing right now. That talent will likely later transfer to chemistry formulas or math or something else slightly more useful!

Yes, only one of the tests has to be less than 2 years old. You can still use the IQ test. If the IQ test was done at the age of 3 or 4 then I would worry that they may ask for more though.

I agree. I believe I mentioned my DS's fascination with cars that he had when he was potty training. He used to sit on the little potty seat and memorize the "Consumer Reports" annual auto issue. Then he could ID the make and model of pretty much any car on the road. It was pretty mind-blowing.

Is that a "talent?" Not a very useful one! (Though I always joked that if we were the victims of a hit and run accident, or a crime involving a car, he'd be the one I'd have talk to the police!) But he was only maybe 2yo at the time. Don't expect 6yos to be writing the Great American Novel, you know?

I think it is also right that not being insatiable about learning all the time doesn't mean a kid is not PG. Personality matters a lot in that regard. I am also parenting a very laid-back kid with a wide variety of interests. I suspect that breadth dilutes some of the passion, since kids like ours tend to have a lot of balls in the intellectual air.

But our DS certainly does have special needs that must be met in some fashion if he is to remain emotionally healthy. No, he doesn't read physics textbooks for fun. But that sort of image of PG-ness doesn't apply to all PG kids. Don't get stuck on that. Some PG kids are generalists. That still counts!

Oh, and then one more thing. According to Davidson's definition, my Dd is PG. She has similar scores to your Ds. However, I don't think she is quite PG; she doesn't fit other definitions. One more thing to consider for your mental classifications.