Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Best test for a 4.5 year old?

I'm struggling a lot with my DD right now--she's still throwing tantrums and is like an emotional hurricane. I'm working on fixing her diet and vitamins (we found out she has some MTHFR mutations, as do I--but that's for another post).

She's also a perfectionist, and I'm worried she will give up easily if I test her now... but I want to know what I'm dealing with. If she's gifted, I understand the emotional intensity, the mood swings, all of it--if she isn't, well maybe we have some other issues that need addressing.

What's the best test for a 4.5 year old, or should I wait on it until I get her moodiness / diet sorted?

I had DS tested at 4 years, 3 months with the KBIT2. This is just a screener, not a true assessment, but it served my purpose. It is VERY brief. At that age, I was unsure if DS would sit through a longer test.

I just spoke with a tester-- it looks like she offers these three: RIAS, WISC-IV, and Stanford-Binet-5... Are any of these good? I am also worried about DD's ability to sit through a lengthy test.

We did the WPPSI-IV which is for younger kids. The WISC-IV is for 6 and up I think?

Of those three, the SBV is probably your best bet for a good comprehensive. The RIAS is a reasonable choice because of its (lack of) length, which might be better for a little person. I wouldn't use it if looking for thoroughness. But if you're planning to test again within two years, and just want a general idea for right now, I would probably point you toward the RIAS, as that leaves your options open for future testing, when she may have settled down enough to be more testable.

Perhaps it would be as well to consider the emotional intensity and mood swings as items to manage regardless of the question of giftedness. Yes, it makes them easier to understand, but how would having a (probably not very valid) IQ change the way you support her on a day to day basis, if the emotionality gets in the way of major life functions? Being gifted, after all, is not license to throw tantrums! One of your options would be to take her to the public school system to be evaluated for the moodiness and perfectionism, and perhaps have some cognitive/academic screening done at the same time. This would have the advantage of 1), being at no cost to you, and 2) potentially connecting you to supportive resources.

we did the wppsi 3 (4 now) it was great. Btw if you are looking into diet do check the possibility of food intolerances. Eliminating a food group has had a profound effect on DD's personality and behaviour in general. You can do an elimination study although these can be stressful and hard for the child. We chose to visit a nutritionist who gave DD a "biometric" test (which I'm pretty sure is some sort of quackery) however, it did back up our own findings and gave us a starting point rather than just feeling around for answers.

Your daughter sounds like mine - I told her before hand that it was really important that she do her level best so that we could put her in the school that was going to be the most fun for her type of brain (we talked a lot about round pegs and square holes). We had a meeting with Ed psych before hand where we could explain our concerns and that helped her when dealing with DD, you should be able to the same.

DD was tested by 2 schools and while getting the results was very validating, it didn't offer any solutions.

What did help was letting her choose her own sleep schedule once school ended. Oh my goodness. She is a new child. She now goes to sleep around midnight and then gets up around 11:00 AM. For her, that was the underlying issue that needed to be addressed. I don't know what we're going to do about this once kindergarten starts but for now, I am going to enjoy our peaceful summer together.

it never occurred to me to do that - although I would prob worry about missing adult only time with DH (just the hanging out talking stuff!) He starts work early. No way DD would want to be by herself.

Yes!!! I'd examine nap needs, too.

People have natural circadian rhythms that dictate their best times. Mana's DD's day is similar to DS' preferred rhythm. (It has been since he was in utero.) He's in pyjamas by 9:30 or 10pm, and we read and talk until he's had enough. He generally sleeps by midnight (which can tilt as early as 10pm) and wakes around 9-10:30am (as early as 8:00am) with a 3ish hour nap in the afternoon. He can handle 6 hours of being awake before losing it and is not yet ready to lose or trim his nap. Granted during those 6 hour stretches he remains a handful, but a delightful and cooperative one.

ds6 would love that kind of pattern but I start work at 8.30 four days a week no matter what time of year it is so he is mostly used to it.