Giftedness is not a diagnosis. However, it is an identification of exceptional cognitive ability that meets the criteria of Mensa (the high IQ society) that most Canadian school boards have adopted.
Is Your Child Gifted?
Parents are often more aware of their child’s advanced development and signs of giftedness before their child even starts school. Many school boards in Ontario do not start identifying children for gifted programs until the second, third or even fourth grade. Therefore, parents of exceptionally bright or gifted children frequently complete a private Psychoeducational (Educational) Assessment to determine their child’s eligibility for alternative academic placement options.
Gifted Testing for School Placement in Ontario
Ontario school boards require evidence/results of a standardized intelligence test completed by a Registered Psychologists or Psychological Associate to identify students with very superior intelligence under the exceptional intellectual gifted category. However, some school boards require the full Psychoeducational Assessment to establish that a child has both the cognitive ability and academic skill development to be successful in a gifted classroom. Accordingly, these school boards require more than an IQ test. They may, therefore, request that parents also complete academic testing to gain eligibility for alternative school placement.
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