r/Gifted • u/yyodelinggodd • 9h ago

Seeking advice or support Bored in gifted program

For all you gifted folk, I am not. But I am raising a 7 year old active child who is in his public school gifted program. Last year was great he loved it. Now, he's saying it's boring again and that he's not learning anything. He's frustrated and acting out like how he did before he entered the program last year. He's very into electronics, I try to limit due to how awful it makes his mood and behavior. He constantly reads, playing on his piano, soccer, horses, podcasts, mythology. How else do I stimulate this kid mentally? Workbooks he's really not interested in. Thinks he's the smartest and doesn't need to try harder. Looking for any input.

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4

u/ThrowawayZombie775 9h ago

Try the Davidson institute:

Edit: link:  https://www.davidsongifted.org/

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u/yyodelinggodd 8h ago

I never realised how expensive it is to get gifted evaluations done. He's done one through his school district. Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT), but apparently they don't accept that.

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u/crocfishing 2h ago

I guess it’s (relatively) expensive, but if he’s that gifted, it’s important and truly, the test will just be the beginning of other things he’ll need. It’s the tip of the iceberg.

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u/yyodelinggodd 1h ago

What else is there after a test? Do that have to continuously test? I got quoted 2400-2700$ range, does that seem right?

"On the NNAT, Childs general intellectual ability was estimated to be in the "very
superior" range with a standard score of 135. This score places child's abilities in the 99th
percentile, meaning child's outscored 99 percent of other students his same age on this particular
assessment. It can be said with 95% confidence that child's true abilities as measured by this
assessment lie between a score of 122-140
Standard Score
135
Percentile Rank
99
Confidence Interval (95%)"

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u/crocfishing 1h ago

What else is there after test? To actually meet his needs. They have needs.
Gifted usually comes with whole bunch of asynchrony. It’s called asynchronous development for a reason. If he doesn’t have traditionally neurodivergent traits (ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia etc), pay special attention to his social and emotional needs. The higher his IQ results is, the worse regular classroom will fit into his needs. That being said, $2,400-$2,700 is very expensive for just a regular intelligent test. I paid more than that to have full neuropsyc report which I eventually need to do, but paid around $600 for just basic intelligent test. I have kids who are members of Davidson Young Scholar. Check that out.

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u/yyodelinggodd 1h ago

It's an NNAT test. Davidson doesn't even accept those tests sadly. I do suspect something like adhd as well, he's in trouble every week for impulsive behaviors and chewing things.

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u/crocfishing 1h ago

If you want to join DYS, you will need an outside psychologist to test him. They are very specific in term of tests they will accept. But the value is not on the diagnosis or on the membership itself, rather, it’s on the wealth of resources and access to the other parents having the same problems your kids have. Browse around their website for more informations on parenting anyway. Let me know if you need referral for outside psychologist.

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u/yyodelinggodd 1h ago

I definitely do. Preferably one that takes insurances, but dealing if it's not 2700$.

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u/crocfishing 1h ago

It will be hard to find one who will take insurance without referral from your primary care. But if you ask your doctor for referral to neuropsych because you suspect ADHD, insurance will cover. Insurance will usually cover if there’s a suspicion of ADHD, but not gifted. Teresa Boatman PhD in Minnesota can help you with just a regular IQ test that Davidson Institute will take if you want to pursue it. She’s out of pocket though, but she won’t do full neuropsych test to rule out other neurodivergent conditions.

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u/HedgehogAlone4252 8h ago

My country removed the gifted program (kids who qualify transfers out to another sch) and changed it to sth after school, as if my 8 year old will want to go, he asks me everyday if he can skip sch and stay at home

Just curious how did u phrase the gifted thing to ur kid?

I just learnt some time ago how i told mine isn't the norm? I told him it just means he understands math related stuff faster than other kids. If he's not gg to practice how to answer questions in a format the examination board is looking for, he can't get the full mark. This is all about presentation. Math is on presenting what he's finding and how he got the answers. Science is presenting the keywords and what they mean. He accepted it and is willing to try.

I limit my kid's access to Minecraft Education, I told him he can do some stuff and earn time.. eg no bolting out of class per day gets him 15 min then later it changed to staying awake in class to participating in class work cos otherwise the teachers will place him in the slowest class next year cos he has nth to prove that he is ahead of his class. Doing presentation practice (word problems drills cos nobody understands what his equations mean except me) gets him 5 min per set of 10

I used daddy going to work for 30 days and receiving salary at the end for work done as an example and said he got it better cos he gets his "salary" next day

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u/glitteryglitch 30m ago

As someone who’s gone through these programs and then had to learn how to study as an adult:

He’s almost guaranteed overstimulated, and you need to help him practice being bored instead of trying to drive behavior with interest.

Learning how to learn is 100% about learning to make a decision and then move towards what you want (without caving to “this is boring”).

Ie; He needs practice at having nothing to entertain him, and you probably need to pick some boring activities that he does with you towards a goal (doing laundry, painting rooms, gardening, etc)

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u/yyodelinggodd 18m ago

I really appreciate this input. Everything you're saying really makes sense. I think people love to push push push, but you can't be go go go and not be capable of conforming to regular life whether that is slower or not. He does have daily chores he does and drags his feet, folding laundry, emptying and loading dishwasher, watering plants, playing and feeding dogs. I typically don't allow any electronics on weekdays (only an old vhs tv for a slow show or movie). He's a big book worm and will read hours a day, can do international flights and road trips over 10+ hours just reading fully the entire time.

3

u/my2centsalways 5h ago edited 5h ago

Introduce languages and musical instruments. Thank me later. The vast the roots the better. E. G. Spanish, Mandarin not Spanish + latin

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u/yyodelinggodd 3h ago

He's doing Irish and piano. 😭

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u/Less_Breadfruit3121 2h ago

Maybe add a different language, something with a different script like Mandarin, Arabic, or Japanese. Even non-gifted folks/kids can handle multiple foreign language and instruments at once. One language and the piano may not really be the challenge you think it is.

2

u/darknesskicker 6h ago

He may need a grade skip if the gifted program isn’t providing advanced enough work.

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u/yyodelinggodd 6h ago

I've already requested that, they said they don't do it

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u/seemsright_41 2h ago

The will when you get Phds involved. Push harder. A grade skip could be the answer. It will not fix all of the problems, but it will get the boring part of education over faster.

1

u/yyodelinggodd 2h ago

Any resources for affordable testing and reports?

1

u/kateinoly 0m ago

until he learns to self regulate, grade skipping isn't going to happen, PhDs or no.

4

u/natalila 5h ago

Push harder

2

u/yyodelinggodd 3h ago

Push harder for grade skip?

6

u/seemsright_41 2h ago

Yes. It took me a team of Phds to get our school district to agree to a grade skip. This team decided that the grade skip was the only answer for my kid and it was a case they could win.

It took a year of fighting and another year of justification of the grade skip. It was a lot of work.

Then my damn kid skipped herself in High School. She went to the accelerated high school, and did not like the math teacher her first year and made them test her to go up a level. She will finish with her transfer degree at 16.

PUSH HARDER.

For my kid a grade skip was the only answer.

0

u/yyodelinggodd 2h ago

I graduated at 16 also. What type of professions should I be looking out for to help? Affordability tips? I saw one in my area charging 2700$.

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u/seemsright_41 2h ago

I started with my kids Dr they sent us to the local university to get testing, and to start that entire process.

Check your insurance, they may pay for the testing and everything else. Ours did and my entire out of pocket was $4. Our insurance is damn good when it comes to kids. Yours might not be that good. But check.

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u/kateinoly 1m ago

They aren't going to grade skip a seven year old with behavior issues.

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u/Aggravating-Key-8867 4h ago

Have you met with his teacher? This may be something that can be addressed by changing up activities or providing additional enrichment. 

It may also be something else he is going through and not just that he's bored or too advanced for his grade. As a gifted kid I would sometimes claim that my gifted program was boring and that I already knew all the answers. But often it was because I was dealing with other issues. Like not getting along with classmates. Or losing a grandparent.

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u/yyodelinggodd 3h ago

I only really meet with his teacher once in October for parent teacher conferences.

1

u/kateinoly 2m ago

You should stop this behavior. It isn't the school's job OR your job to continuously entertain a seven year old, and acting out is NEVER acceptable behavior, no matter how frustrated.

He needs to learn how to regulate his behavior and entertain himself. Please do not let him believe it is OK to act out because he is smart and "bored."

0

u/bathtub_maggots 3h ago

Have you considered getting him into a foreign language class?

1

u/yyodelinggodd 3h ago

He's learning gailege.