Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion New to the blog

Hello all -

I am new to the blog. My 5 yo son was recently identified as G&T by the school district via an OLSAT test, which I understand is not accepted by the Davidson Institute. So, to gain admission, I believe I would have to pursue formal testing with a WIAT/WISC which would be a bit costly.

I am hoping that someone out there with a child around this age (6 yo) can describe to me the benefits/services on a more individual level of being in the Davidson Institute. I am willing to pursue additional formal testing, if I feel the benefits of membership to our family would outweigh the stress of the testing and the cost. I am especially looking for help in advocating for my son in the daily classroom environment. Our ISD dropped G&T pull out this year, so the only services provided are grouping the kids together in the same class which doesn't start until 1st grade (he's in K now). So, despite being identified, nothing is going to change on a practical level until next Fall.

Thanks for any and all advice you might have! I just want my son to keep his love of learning.
Marney -

First off, if you are thinking of trying to get your ds into Davidson Young Scholars (DYS), I'd do the achievement testing first b/c it is usually less expensive. DYS serves the extreme of the gifted population, so your ds may or may not qualify. My girls are not in DYS, but we do post and get helpful information from this board.

If he scored well into the 99th percentile on the composite score on the OLSAT or you have other reason to believe that he is working many grade levels above his current grade (K or 1st), then it might be worth the further testing. In K & 1st, just for perspective, my oldest was reading 5 grade levels above her current grade. She still is not DYS eligible.

Hopefully a parent whose child is a DYS will chime in here soon to give you some personal input regarding the benefit of DYS.

I think that people haven't responded yet because you used the word "blog" which is confusing, this is just a website, I believe.

I am not an expert on things gifted or on things DYS. However, I do have a daughter who is DYS. I think that if you can read all of the articles here and at Hoagies and can advocate using the tests that you already have, then you have succeeded in what it seems like you most need. You can also ask for end of year benchmark tests to get additional scores.

It is hard to tell you what you need and if it will be worth it for you, given the time and expense. I would do the IQ and send in the achievement in the form of supplemental materials, if you decide to do testing.

My daughter has gotten a lot out of DYS and we are really grateful to them, but it is hard to say that it would be right for you.