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Gifted Assessment

Every Gifted Mind Deserves to Be Understood

 

It often starts with a feeling that your child is a little out of sync with the world around them. They speak like they’re older than their years, absorb information faster than you can keep up with, or notice things others miss. You’re not alone in wondering what this all means. A gifted assessment can offer insight, not just into how they think, but into how you can best support them as they grow.

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Two girls discussing gifted assessment

What Is a Gifted Assessment?

A gifted assessment helps you understand how your child thinks, solves problems, and learns compared to other kids their age. It’s often the first step for families who’ve noticed something unique—maybe your child picks up new ideas quickly, asks big questions, or makes connections that seem beyond their years.

This type of assessment can also be part of the process when applying to certain gifted programs or schools. Requirements vary, but most are looking for signs of advanced cognitive ability. We tailor each assessment for giftedness to make sure it meets your child’s needs—and any program requirements you’re working toward.

If you’ve been searching for a “giftedness assessment near me,” you probably already feel that your child learns a little differently. Or maybe you’re just curious and are wondering if your child might qualify to go to a gifted school you’ve heard about. We’re here to help you understand what that giftedness means and where to go from here.

Boy with robot during IQ test for gifted child

Is a Gifted Assessment Right for Your Child?

  • You might not have all the answers yet, and you don’t need to. But if you’ve noticed your child learning quickly, thinking deeply, or picking up on things that others miss, it may be time to explore whether their strengths point toward giftedness.

    Here are some signs a gifted assessment may be a helpful next step:

    Common Traits of Gifted Learners: 

    • Learns new concepts quickly and easily
    • Uses advanced language or problem-solving for their age
    • Makes connections between ideas across different settings
    • Asks thoughtful or complex questions early on
    • Shows intense curiosity or strong interests in specific topics
    • Becomes frustrated with repetition or tasks they’ve already mastered

    Every child is different, and giftedness doesn’t always show up in the expected ways. This process isn’t about labels. It’s about understanding how your child thinks and learns so that you can support them with confidence.

What to Expect During the Gifted Assessment Process

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Initial Conversation

We start by learning about your child’s history, development, learning style, and any questions or concerns you may have.

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Personalized Plan

From there, we design a plan that fits your goals, whether it’s for school placement or a better understanding. We’ll discuss what documentation you need and the plan for a report.

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One-on-One Testing

Next, your child attends one or two individual sessions with a clinician. The clinician will do a series of cognitive tasks with your child including asking questions, completing puzzles, as well as memory and timed tasks – this is also referred to as an IQ test.

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Feedback Meeting

Once testing is complete, we go over the results with you in a way that’s clear and meaningful.

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Written Report + Follow-Up

You’ll receive a full report after the feedback session, and we’ll offer a follow-up session a few weeks later to answer questions or talk about next steps.

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One-on-One Testing

Next, your child attends one or two quiet sessions with a clinician. These may include cognitive tasks, problem-solving, and an IQ test if needed.

Why Families Trust RMPS

You’re not just looking for results. While many individuals and organizations do standardized testing, what is different at RMPS is that we’ve been around a long time (over 25 years). Test scores are test scores, but at RMPS our Director has over 25 years of experience and teaches formal assessment to new professionals. This leadership and experience leads to RMPS clinicians offering assessments with a deeper level of understanding. Sometimes test measures can be looked at and interpreted in different ways, additional testing may be needed to get the full picture of your child’s potential, or some scores can be substituted for others, which can mean the difference between meeting entrance criteria for admission to certain schools or programs or not.  The point is that not all assessments are the same, despite clinicians using the same recommended assessment measures (WISC-V, WPPSI-IV, or Stanford Binet-5). You want someone who will not only take the time to understand your child and create a calm environment where your child will be able to demonstrate their abilities. You also want an assessment that will show your child’s capacity and abilities in the best possible way, potentially increasing your child’s likelihood of acceptance to the schools and programs you’re applying to.  

What You Can Expect

Clear communication around the steps to the process, what to expect, and your intentions with this assessment (application to specific schools, support with identifying the type of school that would be a good fit for your child, etc).

Critical look at scores and ensuring a deeper look and next-level interpretation to ensure that your child’s capabilities are presented in the best possible light

Awareness of the entrance criteria and reflection of this in the report.

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What Is Involved In a Gifted Assessment?

When children are evaluated for giftedness, they typically complete a cognitive assessment, also referred to as an IQ test. This is an individually administered, standardized assessment where your child is asked a series of specific questions and to complete specific tasks such as building with blocks or puzzles. The assessment is usually completed by a psychologist. The score on this assessment compares your child’s performance to other children the same age (year and month) in the population. Children who meet criteria for a gifted program tend to score in the top 2-5% of the population. The assessment measure that is most commonly used is in assessing for giftedness is the Wechsler tests. There are different Wechsler tests for different age groups. For young children, the assessment measure is called the WPPSI-IV (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Test of Intelligence- Fourth Edition). For school-age children, it is the WISC-V (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition). For older teens and adults, it is the WAIS-IV (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition).

What If My Child Doesn’t Do Well On The Assessment?

The assessment is standardized, which means that your child will be asked to do the same things as other children their same age. What this means is that many children who are 4 years old, for example, may struggle to sit to complete tasks, and therefore if your child is 4 years old, they would be expected to have the same developmental challenges with sitting to complete tasks as other children their same age. Thus, the results reflect how your child did when completing the same task as other children their same age. Some children do struggle with completing the tasks and we all have bad days sometimes. If you feel that your child’s results really don’t represent them, speak with the psychologist about your concerns and have a discussion about what the psychologist observed and results and what you observe at home. Sometimes children are able to show different levels of ability with supports or different questions; while this is important information, what is being assessed when using standardized assessment measures is how the child responds when given the exact same instructions for the task.

Why Would I Want To See If My Child Is Gifted?

For any child, it can help them to learn and to thrive if their learning is developmentally appropriate and targeted to their capacity. This is why there are developmentally-appropriate curriculum standards in education – the standards fit most children that age. However, when a child is gifted, they learn differently and at a different rate than their same-aged peers. Finding out that a child meets criteria for giftedness helps the child’s parents and school to make a plan to ensure that the child’s needs are met. It may mean, for example, that the child is taught at a faster pace, has opportunities to learn curriculum concepts at a deeper level, or that the child can choose to spend time learning about areas of interest in addition to managing the curriculum. Without an educational program that meets their needs, some gifted children find that they become less interested in school or learning, don’t develop good work habits, or because they are used to easily succeeding or being the best, they may struggle when they do encounter challenging tasks because they haven’t had experiences of overcoming struggle to help them build resiliency.

Gifted Schools And Programs In Calgary And Area:

There are a variety of educational options for gifted students. In the Calgary area, Westmount Charter school is a charter school that specializes in working with gifted children. See Westmount Website – (Website for Westmount Charter School – Gifted from the Inside Out) for more information. Calgary Board of Education also serves gifted students with the G.A.T.E. (Gifted and Talented Education Program) starting in Grade 4 (see FAQ | GATE Calgary). Alternatively, the Calgary Board of Education and Calgary Catholic Board of Education also support gifted students to be integrated into the regular classroom with an Individualized Program Plan. The GATE Parents’ association website is also a helpful resource to parents

Resources For Parents Of Gifted Children:

Please see this link from Westmount Charter School and GATE Parents Association for reading lists and resources: Giftedness – Westmount Website (westmountcharter.com) and Schools | GATE Calgary. If you would like to have your child assessed for giftedness, please contact Rocky Mountain Psychological Services at 403-245-5981 or email us at admin@rmpsychservices.com.

Frequently Asked Question

At what age should my child be for a gifted assessment?

Most children are assessed between the ages of 4 and 12, though it depends on the purpose of the assessment. Some schools or programs have specific age requirements, while others are more flexible. If you’re unsure whether it’s the right time, you can book a consultation with a psychologist who will guide you based on the reasons you are looking into a gifted assessment.

Will this help with applying to gifted programs?

Yes. Many families request a gifted assessment in Alberta to support school applications. Programs like Westmount Charter School or G.A.T.E. require cognitive testing or IQ evaluation. We can tailor the assessment to meet those specific requirements and help ensure you have the right documentation.

What if my child is already struggling in school?

Gifted children are not always high achievers in a classroom setting. Some underperform because they feel bored, misunderstood, or unsupported. A giftedness assessment can help uncover the reasons behind these challenges and offer useful recommendations that support both learning and well-being.

Is a gifted assessment just an IQ test?

A gifted assessment is an IQ test. This looks at how your child thinks, learns, solves problems, and processes information compared to others their same age. This information helps to build a picture of your child that you and school professionals can use when deciding on what program or school might be a good fit.

Can adults be assessed for giftedness?

Yes. While many people think of a gifted test as something for children, adults can benefit from it too. Some want answers about how they think and learn, while others are exploring personal growth or career direction.

How long does the whole process take?

From the first meeting to the final report, the full process typically takes 2-3 weeks. Timing depends on scheduling, the number of sessions needed (usually 1 or 2 testing sessions). If you’re applying to a specific program, it’s best to get in touch early so we can meet your deadline.

Do you offer a letter rather than a report if my child doesn’t meet the criteria for giftedness?

Yes. Some parents have asked if they could have a letter rather than a full report if their child’s scores don’t meet the criteria for the program to which they are applying. We do offer this option. Ask your clinician about it at the first appointment when you are discussing the assessment plan.

Start With a Simple Conversation

We’ll take time to understand your concerns, answer your questions, and explore whether a gifted assessment is the right next step for your child.

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