Many parents wonder about having their child retested after the initial screening or testing at school. This will be a case-by-case decision, but there are certainly some main points to consider. First, if the child was given only the screening and did not qualify for further testing, ask yourself if the child is exhibiting a need for differentiated and more challenging instruction. If you and/or the teacher are saying yes, then it is very possible that the screening is not reflective of the child’s true potential. Also, often, the screening does not correlate well with the psychological testing so results can be vastly different.
Second, if your child moved past the screening and did complete an IQ test with a psychologist but did not qualify for advanced programs, there are multiple things to consider. Eligibility criteria changes over time and the school system will generally accept testing for three years. Take a look at the current eligibility criteria and determine if your child’s performance meets any of the newer criteria. Next, were the testing conditions ideal when your child was tested? An IQ test is measuring a child’s intellectual potential, so conditions must be optimal in order to truly get at that potential. Often when testing is done at school, the parents are unaware of the testing date. Many children are scared or fear something bad happened when they are called down to the office. Once they realize why they were actually called down, it can take a significant amount of time for their nervous system to stabilize. The evaluation could be halfway done before the child’s inner system has calmed down. This compromises the results without much outward appearance that the psychologist can recognize and account for. Other times, a child may be pulled out of PE and be very upset by this. That child may rush through answers in the hopes that they can get back to PE before it ends. Or it can be that the child has just returned from a vacation or an illness and are not at their best, but since this is unknown, they are tested anyway. For these and a multitude of other reasons, evaluations may not have actually captured the child’s true potential. As a parent, if your gut instinct tells you that something interfered with your child’s performance on the day of the testing AND your child is exhibiting signs of giftedness, then it is very likely that retesting could be a beneficial route to take.
Discussing your individual concerns and questions with a psychologist is always recommended. Feel free to contact our office for additional information and to talk through all of your questions &/or concerns.
Second, if your child moved past the screening and did complete an IQ test with a psychologist but did not qualify for advanced programs, there are multiple things to consider. Eligibility criteria changes over time and the school system will generally accept testing for three years. Take a look at the current eligibility criteria and determine if your child’s performance meets any of the newer criteria. Next, were the testing conditions ideal when your child was tested? An IQ test is measuring a child’s intellectual potential, so conditions must be optimal in order to truly get at that potential. Often when testing is done at school, the parents are unaware of the testing date. Many children are scared or fear something bad happened when they are called down to the office. Once they realize why they were actually called down, it can take a significant amount of time for their nervous system to stabilize. The evaluation could be halfway done before the child’s inner system has calmed down. This compromises the results without much outward appearance that the psychologist can recognize and account for. Other times, a child may be pulled out of PE and be very upset by this. That child may rush through answers in the hopes that they can get back to PE before it ends. Or it can be that the child has just returned from a vacation or an illness and are not at their best, but since this is unknown, they are tested anyway. For these and a multitude of other reasons, evaluations may not have actually captured the child’s true potential. As a parent, if your gut instinct tells you that something interfered with your child’s performance on the day of the testing AND your child is exhibiting signs of giftedness, then it is very likely that retesting could be a beneficial route to take.
Discussing your individual concerns and questions with a psychologist is always recommended. Feel free to contact our office for additional information and to talk through all of your questions &/or concerns.
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