Why is the end of the school year so stressful? How do we transition to summer schedules?

05/05/2012

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The end of the school year is approaching and summer is on the horizon.  There is a flurry of activities to
finish before the end of the school year, both academic, and personal.  Parents often need to help their gifted children maneuver through this stressful time.  Exams often present a high level of stress for gifted children who want to do well, with some who think they must get a perfect, or near perfect score.  Headaches, lack of appetite, poor sleep, and other physical symptoms may present themselves and as parents, we may forget that symptoms may be caused by the stress the child feels.  This stress may be actual, or self-imposed,
nonetheless, it appears and the child suffers.  A good diet, plenty of sleep, plenty of water to drink, time to play or walk outside (even for older kids), and a time to relax and laugh, are important things a child needs to help cope with stress.

This is also a time to consider activities for the summer.  A formal, planned program for gifted children is not necessary to provide a great summer for our children.  Local activities in your area are plentiful.  Check with the recreation department or library for activities, many of which are free.  Most libraries have summer reading programs for children that include children from preschool through high school.  Many of these programs have rewards at certain levels of reading time, with great prizes at the end.  Even high school aged children
enjoy the rewards of reading programs.  The local park, swimming area, or shaded tree hold many opportunities to relax and enjoy the outdoors.  A trip to your local Chamber of Commerce will provide many ideas and brochures about places to explore right in your area.  Often, we adults do not even know all the great things to explore right in our own locale.  Enlist the help of your child in exploring local options for summer.  It may be the break from stress the child needs.

Another summer event July 13-14 is the international conference of the organization Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted (SENG).  This year the conference is in Brookfield, WI.  There is a children’s program for students ages 8-18 coordinated by our own Sarah Kasprowicz. This conference provides an opportunity
for parents to get together with other parents of gifted children from around the country and the globe to attend workshops.  The children’s program gives gifted children the opportunity to be with others like themselves while exploring interesting topics in the local area.  My family had positive experiences when attending several SENG conferences in the past, including the children’s program.   Check out the SENG website for further information and registration:  http://www.sengifted.org/

As we come to the end of the school year, take a moment for you and your children to stop, take a deep breath out in the sunshine and fresh air, and say thank you to those who have helped over the past nine months, while looking forward to the summer and time to just Be.
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Intensity

03/07/2012

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Often parents comment to me about the intensity with which their gifted child lives life.  For some parents their child appears overly sensitive or emotional.  For others there may be endless discussions that border on arguing about seemingly everything that is said.  Still others find their child is in constant motion.  All of these are usually found in most children who are developing on a ‘normal’ scale.  The difference for gifted children is the intensity with which the child experiences these stimuli.  

Many gifted children experience these stimuli as over-excitabilities.  Dabrowski is well known for his interpretation of the excitabilities.  It is generally a relief for many parents of gifted children when they discover Dabrowski’s over-excitabilities.  They find their own child described within the scope of one or more over-excitabilities.  For many parents learning about Dabrowski’s over-excitabilities brings relief that there isn’t something serious plaguing their child; however, even with a description, many gifted children continue to have difficulty fitting in with age-peers.  Most of the time the problem isn’t that age-peers are not interested in playing with the gifted child; it is that gifted children may display over-excitability behaviors other children do not understand.  This is where the asynchronous development of gifted children comes in.  There are times when gifted children tend to seek out others like themselves regardless of age.  Yet, there are still times when the child wants to play like other eight-year-olds.  It is sometimes difficult for adults to remember that.

A great source of information about Dabrowski’s over-excitabilities is the web site Hoagie’s Gifted:  http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/positive_disint.htm

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Should I have my child tested?

01/09/2012

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Recently I’ve had many questions from parents regarding testing their gifted child.  Some parents have asked why testing is necessary when they know their child is gifted and schools may not use the testing information for in depth educational planning; others question the value of testing because this year’s teacher is doing a good job meeting the needs of their child.

The reasons for testing a child are different for every  family.  Some families choose to have their child tested by the school so they are identified as gifted and receive appropriate placement in class.  Other families seek private testing outside of the school, or choose to have their child tested through networks such as NUMATS (Northwestern University Midwest Academic Talent Search) at Northwestern University. Some parents wish to pursue testing for their own use, to learn their child’s capabilities so they can plan how to address these needs as the child grows. Still others choose to forego testing and work with the school or at home to provide the necessary challenge and/or enrichment for their child.

If a family chooses the testing option, there are a wide variety of measurements to consider.
Assessments such as the EXPLORE, and Woodcock Johnson are achievement tests.  They measure knowledge in key areas, usually including verbal and mathematical skills, and/or specific academic areas such as reading, writing, vocabulary, math and others.  Tests such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) assess intellectual ability and provide IQ and other scores.  It is important to know the difference between these two types of tests.  Achievement tests measure skills and academic achievement.  Intelligence tests measure intellect.  

One of the advantages of the EXPLORE test through NUMATS, and other similar out-of-level tests, is that these tests are given to children younger than the intended population of the test. Because of this, children can demonstrate their knowledge in specific areas and not hit a ceiling, or the top range of questions on a test that won’t let them go beyond their age or grade level.  These tests allow students to show what they know beyond their age/grade level.  When seeking achievement testing in your local school district, be sure to ask what test they are using and if it allows students to show what they know beyond their age/grade level; in other words parents should as whether the test has a ceiling, and if so, what it is.

In Wisconsin, standard t  requires multiple measures for gifted identification in all five areas of giftedness (intellectual, academic, creativity, leadership, and the visual and performing arts).  That means that testing-be it achievement or intelligence testing-are only one measure for gifted identification in these areas. There should be many other measures that are also considered, and parents should consider asking what measures are used.  

Though public schools are not required to accept testing from outside sources such as private practitioners or NUMATS, many do.  It is wise for parents to determine the purpose and need for testing in their particular situation.  
 
There is not a one-size-fits all approach to testing gifted children.  Each family situation is different, and families should be prepared to ask questions before and after having their gifted child/ren tested.

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