In large part this is because of his range of behavior. Sometimes he does things that genuinely astonish me; if he were always that way I imagine he would do terrifically on any kind of test. But other times he is so off in his own world that simply getting him to recognize your existence is a Herculean task. His teachers have noticed it too. Whenever there is one kid missing from the line-up at the end of recess, they told us, they know immediately that DS has wandered off somewhere. Once they spent half an hour looking for him before they finally discovered him hiding in the inside of one of the big truck tires on the playground, happily singing to himself. He is in his own world quite a lot of the time. I have no doubt that it's a complicated and interesting world in there; and what peeks out of that world at times is part of what makes me think he's so special. But that kind of specialness seems like just the kind of thing a normal test is likely to miss.
BB
Hi BB!
Glad you are putting us to work!
here's the thing. Gifted isn't the same as Bright. Hollingsworth pointed out that folks on the edge between bright and gifted tend to do well in the worlds of school and work, because they are 'just like everyone else, only more able.' ((Well, not Mother H's words, but my interpretation of them.))
The reason kids like us get refered for testing is exactly this 'not one the same page' kind of behavior. Some kids are MG and have a unique perspective, but ALL HG and PG kids are not on the same page as regular kids and early elementary teachers. ((Wow, that's quite a generalization Grinity-Girl. I'm willing to hear counter examples, but I think any PG kids who acts like they are on the same page - is a really good actor or actress. Sorry - my bias.))
So the behavior that makes you think - not gifted, is exactly the behavior that makes me think 'gifted.'
Now let's add this to my personal definition of 'Gifted' - having special educational needs that are not likely to be met in a regular classroom. This is why we test. This is why we advocate. Because our kids have 'needs.' Some years they have a great teacher who 'gets' them. Some kids have a very relaxed and flexible personality and don't throw tantrums when their needs aren't being met.
If your goal is to understand what your child's needs are, and then to advocate to have those needs met, then it's time to test. You aren't doing this to satisfy your ego or your curiosity. You have a goal, and this is a tool that might help you reach your goal. OTOH, you may find that the test doesn't help you understand your kid's educational needs because it was a 'bad day.' You may find that, unlike Montana's school the school see the scores and say, 'No worries, we have handfuls of kids like this.' or 'We hate when parents have their child tested because the parents always think that high scores mean that their kid is gifted or something.' But, if your goal is to get around the bases, you have to take your turn at bat, and try to swing at anything decent that comes over the plate.
What helped me the most was to consider that I'm not responsible for the outcome, I'm only responsible for making a reasonable effort to get the process to work. I hope this helps.
Love and More Love,
Grinity
