When people hear the word "gifted" they normally assume that this is in reference to intellectual giftedness / very high IQ. And yes, exceptionally high IQ can be a form of giftedness and is something our psychologists can assess with IQ Testing at our Halifax clinic.
It is important to note that high IQ is not the only form of giftedness and, in fact, there is no universally accepted definition of what giftedness is.
What is Giftedness? Although a single definition does not exist, most psychologists believe that giftedness can be found in a wide range of intellectual, cognitive, academic, artistic, and sensorimotor domains.
"Gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in the top 10% or higher) in one or more domains. Domains may include any structured area of activity with its own symbol system (e.g. math, music, language) and/or set of sensorimotor skills (e.g., painting, dance, sports)"
Simply stated, your child may be considered gifted if he or she displays exceptional ability in areas such as intelligence, academics, cognitive skills, artist talent, or athletic performance.
Why Test for Giftedness?
Some of the reasons a parent may consider having their child assessed for giftedness at our Halifax office include:
To qualify for special programming at school. Did you know that The Nova Scotia Special Education Policyrequires appropriate programming not just for students with special needs or disabilities, but also for those officially identified as gifted?
To identify exceptional skills and abilities that can be targeted, developed, and expanded on throughout your child's education.
To identify children who may be overlooked by a school's giftedness screening measures (if they exist). Although some schools do offer group screening, an individual, customized assessment with a psychologist will offer a more comprehensive, in-depth, and valid giftedness evaluation.
For admission into special schools for gifted children.
To help understand their child's unique personality traits, social relationships, interests, and learning styles.
To rule out issues such as ADHD. Gifted children may present as distracted or unmotivated in class when in actuality, they are not being challenged by the curriculum and are simply bored and lacking intellectual stimulation!
What Forms of Gifted Testing Does Green Leaf Psychological Offer? As psychologists, our expertise is in the areas of intellectual, cognitive, and academic giftedness - the most commonly requested areas for gifted assessments.
Note that within these three domains, we will assess and test for specific areas of exceptional ability so that the final report you receive will be maximally informative and helpful.
For example, an assessment may reveal that your child has an IQ greater than 99% of his or her peers, exceptional verbal ability, strong memory for visually presented information, excellent reading comprehension skills, but is not especially adept with mathematics. This breakdown of strengths is very important as it will guide how you, your child's teacher, and your child's school will implement a plan to challenge and take advantage of his or her exceptional abilities.
Interested in a Gifted Assessment in the Halifax Area?
Do you wonder if your child may be gifted? Are you worried that he or she is not being adequately challenged at school? If you live in or near Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, or Clayton Park, a giftedness assessment, academic assessment, and/or IQ test at our service may provide the answers you are looking for.
If you have any questions about our giftedness testing (or other assessments) for children and adults please let us know. We will answer any questions you have about testing (no obligations or commitments whatsoever) and would be happy to set up an appointment if you decide to use our service.
Gifted Assessment Green Leaf Psychological - Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Green Leaf Psychological Services, Inc.
Testing for Gifted Children & Teens in Halifax, Nova Scotia