Best Way to Get a 3 year Old tested??

Erin - posted on 01/30/2009

I understand the quandry about public vs. private.  From personal experience, I had my son in a Pre-K program where due to his acting up in class led me to get him tested.  We found that his IQ is in the 99.97th percentile for his age.  The private school where he was would not accererate any cirriculum for him.  For his Kindergarten year we then looked at a private gifted school ($13K!!!) and since they are private they do not have to be certified as teachers let alone have to be certified for teaching gifted.  We went to our public school system and found our gifted school.  It's been great.  He's had a complete turn around (although he still has issues sitting still and staying on task!!).  The best part is the public school system is required to do a Individual Education Plan for gifted students.  This requires the school to meet your child's needs.  All this for free!  Of course, it all depends on your particular school system and private schools available.  Just make sure you talk to your public school gifted coordinator to see exactly how to test in and what the program consists of.  So much to think about!!  Good luck!!

Deborah - posted on 01/30/2009

First the magical age they claim to be the best for testing is 8 yrs 0 mths. Also some schools don't officially consider outside tests so be prepared for that. (Not all schools but some.)

I too agree that waiting until your child is older is not a bad thing. You really should have a good reason to test when they are that young. But if you are looking to test here is a link with suggested therapist in different states that are recommended for gifted children. Also call local schools and get their recommendations.

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/psychologis...

Shelly - posted on 01/29/2009

Quoting Amy:

When I had my son tested, I was told they could test him before 5 years old, but that true IQ is not set until they are five years old and the results before then are unreliable. The best time to test for accuracy is right after they turn five. Results before then will not really be considered. We were blessed to have a family friend that had a husband who was a psychologist. He agreed to test our son in his home, with us in a nearby room. I would ask the preschool for recommendations and talk with other parents. I am sure the school knows of people who will help you along in the process.

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to provide your feedback.

Shelly

Shelly - posted on 01/29/2009

Quoting Erin:

I would wait until their old enough for Kindergarten (which is exactly what I did).  As far as I know, there aren't gifted programs for preschoolers.  Plus depending on what your school district requires, you need to have a couple of tests administered (IQ and Achievement) in addition to a teacher checklist completed all within a year of Kindergarten in order to be accepted in the gifted program.  If you pay for the expensive testing now, you'll only have to do it again in a couple of years.

 

Thank you so much for your feedback.  I did not think of this.  Just wondering how we're going to approach her schooling public-private and want to get the right start in place.   :)

Erin - posted on 01/29/2009

I would wait until their old enough for Kindergarten (which is exactly what I did).  As far as I know, there aren't gifted programs for preschoolers.  Plus depending on what your school district requires, you need to have a couple of tests administered (IQ and Achievement) in addition to a teacher checklist completed all within a year of Kindergarten in order to be accepted in the gifted program.  If you pay for the expensive testing now, you'll only have to do it again in a couple of years.

Amy - posted on 01/28/2009

When I had my son tested, I was told they could test him before 5 years old, but that true IQ is not set until they are five years old and the results before then are unreliable. The best time to test for accuracy is right after they turn five. Results before then will not really be considered. We were blessed to have a family friend that had a husband who was a psychologist. He agreed to test our son in his home, with us in a nearby room. I would ask the preschool for recommendations and talk with other parents. I am sure the school knows of people who will help you along in the process.