Identifying the Academically Gifted & Talented Child

How can exceptional ability be identified?  Identifying signs of giftedness is not an exact science. Nevertheless, good identification procedures yield information about students who have needs beyond the standard curriculum and would benefit from enrichment options.

Multiple criteria

Multiple criteria should be used for identifying students with possible intellectual giftedness. Objective indices such as standardized tests or IQ tests used in combination with subjective judgments such as teacher observation and parent nomination provides the best means of developing a talent pool of potential. 

Formal testing

Formal testing was once considered the absolute measure of giftedness.  While IQ tests are only one measure of intellectual abilities at a given point in time, and they should not be used alone. Today, testing is considered to be only one way of measuring and verifying giftedness.

1. Meet with your child’s teacher(s) and principal to discuss your child and your perspective.
      
2. Contact the district administrative offices for your school district to find out if they do any testing or can give you any suggestions.
      
3. Macomb ISD does not provide testing for children who might be gifted and/or talented.
      
4. Consider asking your family physician for recommendations.
      
5. The following universities may be contacted to ask about formal testing of your child.
   
   Wayne State University, Psychology Department,
   (313) 577-2840, 
   clas.wayne.edu/PsychClinic/Testing-and-Assessmernt 
   
   University of Detroit, Mercy, Psychology Department,
   (313) 578-0570,
   liberalarts.udmercy.edu/psychology/pycclin.html
   
   University Center for the Child and Family (UCCF) at the University of Michigan, 
   (734) 764-9466,
   www.umuccf.org