Support for a Gifted Child
By Inderbir Kaur Sandhu, Ph.D
Q:
My son is 15 years old, and although his year 6 teacher
suggested he may be gifted, since attending senior school he
has gone largely unnoticed and is now severely
underachieving and has lost interest in school altogether.
He refuses to work, although he is learning because he is a
mine of information when you talk to him. The school refuse
to support the idea that he may be gifted and insist that
they have too many children in classes to treat him
individually even though the child psychologist suggested
this.
I need to know how I can support him and get the education
he needs, as I feel at a dead end with his school. How is
the best way to get his IQ tested to support or refute my
diagnosis? what can I reasonably expect from the school in
the way of support? Is it too late for my child to enjoy and
succeed at school?
A: It is unfortunate that in
spite of knowing that your child is gifted, the school does
not support the idea. This is rather typical of a
traditional school system where education is meant for the
majority of the spectrum and not the minority. It may be
hard for a teacher in a classroom of many students to give
individual attention to any child. Furthermore, the school
may not even have a program for such children, hence the
reluctance rather than refusal. The saddest part is that
this has been going on for a long time – some damage may
have been done over the years.
The school appears to be the main issue; is there any school
in your area that has a program for gifted children or
individualized learning? It could be an option to move him
to a school that supports his needs better. If this is not
possible, you may need to attend to him at home since the
school is not able to. Or get a creative tutor who is
comfortable with the learning of gifted individuals to help
him after school hours.
Of course, to gain entry in a gifted program, the main
criteria would be a standardized intelligence test (can be
the WISC or the Stanford-Binet series). This would depend on
what is required by the school. The results would be
evidence of a need for differentiation in education. Speak
to a qualified psychologist who would be able to test and
interpret results in detail.
It is never too late - the task would be to bring it out and
that would require some effort and encouragement on your
part and a lot of support of the very idea on his part. You
could also try homeschooling but only if you feel ready and
prepared to. Try finding out about support for this in your
area. Speak to other parents who may have similar concerns.
What is required at this stage is to bring out the best in
him by focusing on his strengths. This would motivate him to
work harder. Only then look into his weak areas to have a
good balance for his educational requirement and success at
school. Please do not give up – you have very special child
and the best part is that you are aware of his needs trying
to support him. It may take some time but I believe he will
be able to use his gifts favorably as long as he has your
support.
The following are some sites that may be helpful:
Good luck in your journey!
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