Behavioral Care Services
Online Therapy Website
Gifted and talented children challenge traditional ideas about learning. It is important for gifted and talented youngsters to be exposed to a high-quality learning environment as soon as possible.The ideal school program for the gifted child provides a variety of stimuli and experiences geared to the child's natural interests
It is not uncommon for gifted and talented children to achieve at levels lower than their capabilities if lack of challenge in school produces disinterest or if giftedness is accompanied by learning disabilities. Some intellectually gifted children also have learning differences and become particularly frustrated with their inability to produce in the classroom in exactly the same way as their peers. Meeting these problems will require a cooperative effort between parents, school officials, and a professional.
Each school district in Northern Virginia has its own method of choosing those who may participate in their intellectually gifted programs. Admission procedure may include multiple criteria and holistic assessment supported by results of test-based scores. However, sometimes some of the potential children do not perform at their maximum potential at these screenings at school and are considered ineligible for the programs.
The school systems do allow the parents to appeal an ineligibility. The parents can get their children tested by a licensed psychologist and submit their appeal to the committee. We conduct these intelligence tests on a personal one-to-one basis and make sure that the child is rested, relaxed and comfortable and allow adequate breaks so the child is not fatigued.
Our evaluation is uniquely tailored to the specifications of your school district's procedure for identifying talented and gifted children. We provide various scores of cognitive abilities such as Full Scale IQ, General Ability Index (GAI) which is endorsed by National Association for Gifted Children Task Force on Assessment. You can submit our report with the appeal and request a review by the committee.
- Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT).
- Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT).
- Cognitive Assessment System (CAS).
- Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC IV).
- Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Riverside.
- Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OSLAT).
- Kaufman Assessment Battery
January 13, 2013 Appeals due.
February 8, 2013 Supporting Documents due.
Loudoun County Public Schools' Gifted Program:
Appeals due within 10 working days of the original decision
Arlington Public Schools Gifted Services:
Appeals due within 30 calendar days after being informed of the committee's decision.
- The use of advanced vocabulary for their age
- Employment of spontaneous verbal elaborations with new experiences
- Ability to construct interesting or unusual shapes or patterns through various media
- Ability to assemble puzzles designed for older children
- Sense of humor used in general conversation
- Understanding of abstract concepts, such as death and time
- Mastery of new skills with little repetition
- Demonstration of advanced physical skills
- Demonstration of advanced reasoning skills through the explanation of occurrences
We can also help your gifted children develop social skills to interact with other children without hiding their own abilities. Our experienced team can also assist them to develop enough emotional resources to match their cognitive awareness and deal with their perfectionism, sensitivity and intensity in an effective way.
Selecting a Therapist
Selecting the right professional is very crucial for diagnosis and treatment of a problem. It is important to understand the differences between a Psychologist, a Psychiatrist, a Counselor, a Therapist, a Marriage and Family Therapist and a Social Worker. Please go through our "How to Select a Therapist" section to learn about the main differences among various mental health professions.
Our practice of psychologists is conveniently located in the heart of Northern Virginia and we serve Gainesville, Manassas, Centreville, Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, Chantilly, Reston, Herndon, Dulles, Sterling, Ashburn, Leesburg, Woodbridge, Dumfries, Quantico, Triangle, Haymarket, Warrenton and other areas in Prince William County, Fauquier County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Culpeper County, and Washington DC.