What help is available for an extra bright school child?

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evissa asks:

as anyone got any ideas of any help that may be available for my grandson. my grandson is very advanced for his age in reading and maths and he as been expelled from school as he gets angry and moody towards teachers and children so now attends a surf school but this is dealing with his behaviour and not dealing with hts education needs. there seems to be help for for children with learning difficulties but not for children who are exceptionaly bright we believe his bad behaviour is due to frustration and not being challenged enough

In Topics: School and Academics, Learning issues and special needs, Special needs

> 60 days ago

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lkauffman

Mar 3, 2011

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What the Expert Says:

I agree with LaurenF. You should contact your grandson's school to explore what kind of gifted and talented programs (often referred to as GATE) they offer. An evaluation should then be requested to determine whether he qualifies for the program (this is often determined by an IQ and other achievement tests).

You should also explore resources for caregivers of gifted children. The National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC) http://www.nagc.org is a wonderful place to start. They have a local resource directory that may be very helpful http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=376. The Duke Talent Identification Program http://www.tip.duke.edu/ is another great resource with online courses and information about summer programs.

Finally, I think it is important that your grandson's behavior and mood not be ignored. He may be bored and may be frustrated, but his behavior may also be an indication of some underlying feelings about things in his life. It sounds like he is receiving emotional support at his new school, but if not, it would be important to connect him with a school counselor or another helping professional who can help him to better regulate his mood and develop healthy coping skills.

Warm regards,

Laura Kauffman, Ph.D.
Licensed Child Psychologist
Education.com JustAsk Expert
http://www.drlaurakauffman.com/

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Additional Answers (1)

laurenf writes:

I would contact your school directly to ask if they have anything for bright students. My local elementary school has special programs for advanced students. If there are split classes at the school (1st/2nd grade for instance) maybe you could see if your grandson could be moved into one of those with his grade being the lower of the split.

Your school and district financially might not be able to provide extra opportunities for highly intelligent students. You might have to do things on your own such as: hire a tutor, enroll him in extra/advanced classes after school, teach him more difficult concepts yourself, etc etc. Education.com most likely has a few articles on how to keep your gifted child busy.

Resources:

http://www.education.com/topic/gifted-talented-children/

http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Challenging_Gifted/

> 60 days ago

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