Frequently Asked Questions
The school tells us not to worry since he is gifted and will pick up what he is missing. How can we be sure?"
"I am the parent of a profoundly gifted child (I.Q 155+).
Currently our child is being pulled out one day a week in our
public school and goes to a center where they do some fun
activities. We are concerned about how this is
strengthening our child academically – especially when basic
skills are being taught in the regular class while our child is
out."
Parents have the right to request a meeting to review the
educational plan (EP) for your child. Before the team
convenes to address the EP, you should be certain to read over
the state rule for developing an EP as well as the technical
assistance paper (TAP) on the same subject. Both are on
the
Gifted Student
Education section of the DOE website.
Key questions to ask might include: “What is the current
level of my child’s work?” Personnel at the meeting should
be able to share testing and evaluation to pinpoint the level at
which your child is reading, writing, computing, and so forth.
The next major question would focus on “How is my child gifted?”
If creativity in writing is strong and well above current
placement, but there is evidence of missing significant skills
in writing, that should be a focus for the EP.
It sometimes happens that educators assume a student who is
gifted will “pick it up.” Certainly they may learn
faster than other students, but only testing will determine
whether the student evidences mastery or needs development.
As a member of the EP team, a parent plays a key role in
development of the plan and ensuring appropriate service.
Answer provided by Patricia Gatto-Walden, Ph.D., nationally recognized licensed psychologist.