Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Should I have my daughter tested for giftedness?

I guess an analogy can be drawn with peeling an onion. Layer by layer. Exclude vision related issues, then hearing, specific troubles, etc. Every layer will bring its insights. Regardless, these tests provide answers and insights. The tests are designed to serve in a variety of scenarios and cases and will allow you to learn important things about your child. From there you can take things further. Most likely there is an element of over adaption in play already, doing testing and getting confirmation can be a liberating discovery for your child and help affirming her uniqueness rather than conforming to standards of others. When doing the test make sure to go for a full test and go to testers that are experienced in working with high potential / gifted children. Their insights will be crucial and their experience will help for the test to become a success. Just my two cents... Hopefully useful.

My son likes to give the wrong answers and/or pretend he doesn't know an answer, but he did great with the evaluator. We talked about it beforehand, and he said it was part of his job to know if a child is cooperating and determining whether it's a true assessment of the child's abilities. We had my son tested at 3.11, and I am glad we did even though it brought up a lot of questions.

I greatly appreciate all of the insight and suggestions everyone posted. I feel inspired to try some new tactics based on several of those suggestions. Just coming at her from a different angle might help break through her stubbornness.

DD refused to read the word "the" tonight and choose to go to bed early rather than read her simple reading assignment. We had a wonderful day leading up to this point so I'm confused, as always, regarding why she chooses to dig in her heels and turn on the game.

I snuggled in bed with her for yet another heart to heart regarding the "pretending" game. I didn't get any new insight, but I tried to assure her (yet again) that demonstrating her knowledge is a good thing. It will earn her praises from myself and her dad, her teachers will reward her with more challenging work, friends will be impressed, and she will set a good example for her little sister. I also tried to squash any fears regarding losing help and/or attention from those around her. I told her we will still read books to her too, we will help her with the big words, etc. We also discussed getting positive attention instead of negative attention and that there are games that are fun/funny, but this is not one of them. She promised to do the assigned reading tomorrow without any dramatics, but I will believe that when it happens.

After reading many of the posts I believe testing would be an expensive and frustrating effort that would probably not illustrate her true abilities. Therefore, waiting is probably my best option at this time.