The Gifted Education Centre exists to provide support for parents who have gifted children.  This page is intended to help you decide whether this includes you, and whether you should contact us for help.

QUICKLINKS
What is 'giftedness'?  Why do we use that term?
How do I know whether my child is gifted?
Do I need to have my child assessed?
If my child is gifted, what does this mean?
How can the Gifted Education Centre help?
Who else can help?

Quite simply, it means someone who has truly exceptional ability in one or more fields of human understanding and endeavour.

It applies whether or not that person is actually using their ability successfully at the present time. Of course, with children, our task is to try to ensure that they can and that ultimately they do.

There is not yet absolute agreement about how many children are likely to be gifted. Generally we say that a gifted child is capable of performing within the top 5% in at least one area.

We do know, however, that gifted children come from all social and cultural backgrounds and equally from both sexes.

We know also that giftedness has a genetic basis - that is, a child is born with an inherent capacity to learn and function at a gifted level; you can't "train" someone to become gifted - but also that whether or not that inherent giftedness is developed and used depends very much on the environment in which that child grows and learns. Therefore what we do as parents and educators is vitally important.

1. Your child shows sustained exceptional ability and understanding in some field or fields of learning.

2. Your child:
performs erratically at school, but at times shows flashes of remarkable insight or skill which take you by surprise
complains of feeling bored or frustrated or finding work too easy or too repetitious
is overly meticulous and excessively anxious about being correct, doing things properly;
OR does not seem to care at all about the standard of his or her work, may often leave things unfinished, is in a rush to get on to the next thing
seems to have difficulty making friends and often prefers working alone; OR is a "natural leader"
appears passive and compliant at school but is very different at home; OR is a daydreamer or fiddler but still seems to know what is going on; OR is rebellious, stubborn and difficult to manage and has very definite ideas of his or her own.

You may not need to worry about this if your school is providing well for your child, recognises his or her ability and is catering for his or her needs.

However, if your child is having difficulties coping with school or is not having his or her learning needs met or has social or behavioural issues related to this, a formal in-depth assessment by an educational psychologist can provide objective factual evidence of giftedness as well as insights into personality factors, the range of his or her abilities and any areas of weakness. The psychologist's report may also recommend useful strategies for parents and teachers.

It is very important to note here that some gifted children also are affected by neurologically-based learning disabilities , such as dyslexia. This is not uncommon, though it surprises many people. Assessment is essential to diagnose these conditions and identify appropriate forms of assistance.

Finally, your child will also need professional confirmation of giftedness before entry to some gifted programmes, to ensure that participation in the programme is the right option and will not put the child under undue pressure or stress. The Gifted Education Centre undertakes such an assessment for children applying to enter the One Day School programme.

These differences have significance both for the child's learning and for his or her social and emotional development.

Gifted children need learning opportunities which are matched, not only to the pace of their learning (although that is very necessary), but also to the way in which they learn.

They also need peer challenge and peer companionship during learning. There is very strong research evidence showing that gifted children learn most successfully when they spend at least part of their learning time with other children of similar ability who think and respond in the same way that they do. Their interaction with one another helps to develop their thinking and understanding.

This is important socially, too. Just like every other child, the gifted child needs to spend time with other children who are interested in the same kinds of things, laugh at the same kinds of jokes, enjoy the same sorts of games and activities. This is an important part of how all children develop their social skills and start to build a positive mental image of themselves as likeable, worthwhile people.

None of this is difficult to understand. But sometimes it is difficult to accomplish. Gifted children are, by definition, a minority group. Your gifted child may be one of only two or three, or sometimes the only one, in his or her age group throughout the primary school years and sometimes beyond. This presents very real challenges, not only for the child but also for teachers and for you as parent.

we offer individual information and practical advice to help you in understanding your child and dealing with the specific issues he or she may face
we link to counselling and assessment services and other support agencies
we liaise with parent groups in different parts of the country and can put you in touch with these
we run open-forum parent evenings and parent workshops and have taken these in many different places throughout New Zealand at the request of parent groups or in association with other agencies
we run the One Day School and the GO programmes to provide high quality, research-based learning opportunities and peer companionship for your child
from time to time we organise holiday programmes on those unexpected and different topics that intrigue gifted children
we publish a useful small booklet called 'Choosing A School' - you can download this booklet from our Articles and Publications page.

We provide answers to many questions from parents, such as:

How can I help my gifted child do well at school?
I don't want the school to think I'm a pushy parent. How do I approach them?
What if the school won't listen?
I don't want to label my child. Won't identification make them stand out?
Should I tell my child he/she is gifted?
What if my other children are not gifted? How do I help them cope?
How can I help my gifted child make friends?
What do I say to other parents?
Should we let our child be accelerated at school?
Does a child have to be gifted at everything?
Is giftedness hereditary?

The rest of this website should give you a wider perspective on the Centre's activities. Please go to our Contact Us page for our contact details.