Gifted and talented support groups??

[missie_mack]

My GPhas asked us to consider having our child assessed as being 'gifted and talented' and tells us there is a child group that her child attends thats is really good at helping them find the extra challenges and likeminded children. I am a little apprehensive about it all as he is so young but also realise the flow on effect from not stimulating his needs.

I was wondering if anyone else has current experience with 'gifted and talented' children and/ or these groups?? What process was involved with having your child assessed?

Thanks in advance :)

[indigoin0z]

im not sure where you are located missie-mack.
but

you may want to check out the giftedresources.org website.

it is in victoria, but the website is outstanding &
astounding for parents of & gifted adults themselves!

:thumbsup:

ohhhhh if only it was a magic wand though!!:rolleyes:

[missie_mack]

im not sure where you are located missie-mack.
but

you may want to check out the giftedresources.org website.

it is in victoria, but the website is outstanding &
astounding for parents of & gifted adults themselves!

:thumbsup:

ohhhhh if only it was a magic wand though!!:rolleyes:

Magic wand?? To have them assessed?? I am confused sorry :o

[biscotti]

Missie, this website has a list of support groups click here (http://www.nswagtc.org.au/), you probably already know about it.

We have a G&T child, wasn't formally assessed until school age but we all (meaning my husband and I, the teacher at CC and then Kindy/Preschool) "knew" anyway. We never did the support group thing, didn't really think it was needed as our G&T child has one or two similiar friends, our child has found a niche in other activities and the school has been excellent in regard to catering to needs etc.

Good luck :flowerz:

[missie_mack]

Ok... its not so much the 'support' we are looking for but more the toys :o :laughing: DS is puzzle/building crazy and generally we don't mind spending the money and buy a lot of DSs stuff from ELC.... however lately we find he grows bored of these things rather quickly and when we are sometimes spending $40 a puzzle which he may only play with for a month (amongst some other puzzles) before it stops being a challenge its beginning to .... well ... become expensive to keep challenging him. We were swapping puzzles with my cousins 5 year old son who is bright however it would seem DS puzzles are now getting to the hard stage for him and... well his puzzles are no longer presenting some level of challenge for DS :o We don't really know IRL too many children who present similarly either.

I am not yet sure how we will deal with it when DS goes to school.... that is yet to come and really I am a little dubious of it all because I don't want him to be a outsider at school but at the same stage I know from my own experience that unless presenting him with challenges he will drift along 'making do' without much effort IYKWIM

[biscotti]

Is there a toy library near you Missie?

[missie_mack]

Only pretty poor ones with toys that can only be described as 'cruddy' and old... I am looking to see if there is a privately ran one online as we speak though :) Otherwise I believe right now I could start my own :laughing:

[biscotti]

:yes: start your own!!

What I am doing for the little girls is buying lots of Montessori type toys and then when they're not revisiting anymore, I recycle them on Ebay and buy something different.

[indigoin0z]

Magic wand?? To have them assessed?? I am confused sorry :o

sorry.
my mistake.

i have a household full of [4 persons] complicating 'challenges' as side effects to the supposed 'gift' of being gifted. [though we have learning disabilities at the same time, so could be extra demanding than usual]

the intensities, sensitivities, high-needs, along the context of what you say about toys/education etc, its a minefield trying to fit/make your kids fit where the world just isnt set up for you.. let alone supportive..

there is such a societal bias, many of us choose to stay in secret..
i [along with many other parents i have met] despise and CRiiiiiNGe using the word 'gifted' for my children [or god forbid myself!!!!]
there are so many complexities that just arent seen but sure are VeRY felt by people in the persons life. particularly from the emotional/social standpoint, trying to fit into a world that just doesnt think like or 'get' you, & constantly feeling like you are an alien & that you are waiting for people to catch up .

the support groups are for these very reasons.

im not sure of special toys as such.
but
i am constantly on the browse for interesting things for my kids..
and
yes the it is sooo incredibly frustrating when something can be really good & enjoyed when they first get it,
but as soon as they figure it out, its old news & too boring.. not stimulating enough etc.

there are specialty game stores,
and
via some gifted websites you will also find links
to items that you feel might suit you.

anyway..
sorry.
prob'ly waaaaay more info then you were after:footinmouth:

:fingerscrossed:

[indigoin0z]

:yes: start your own!!

What I am doing for the little girls is buying lots of Montessori type toys and then when they're not revisiting anymore, I recycle them on Ebay and buy something different.

i do similar to this too biscotti.
tho having 3 boys, i am finding it more useful to get a full life out of something in our own house, passing it along.
but
it is nice to share a bargain with others on ebay too, who feel passionate about items that are harder to find

[missie_mack]

No no I like to hear these things and somewhat understand. From what I have read it is common for siblings to all be gifted and now wonder if my brother could have come under the 'gifted' label but it wasn't nurtured like it would be today due to dyslexic issues. I have an extremely high IQ which I probably play down to the average person..... its always a sense of amusement when people look shocked or stunned when it comes out :o but when I was at school the best you could hope for was a teacher to give you and extra project and my mother had never heard of the term except from what she classed as OTT mothers :rolleyes: My husband is bright as is my mother, however I think my father could have been classed as gifted too and similarly my FIL. I remember my mother telling me once how he could read a book once (in this case car mechanics) and then talk about fixing a car like he had done it a million times despite not knowing the right end of a screwdriver :laughing: but then I have not known anyone in our families to have this nurtured and developed like perhaps it should have been IYKWIM We were just expected to perform but too often it just made us lazy (well at least me :o) because I never had to study or do my homework to perform at an acceptable level....

[indigoin0z]

..........I was wondering if anyone else has current experience with 'gifted and talented' children and/ or these groups?? What process was involved with having your child assessed?

Thanks in advance :)

sorry again mm. so distracted atm.

im sure there is actually a section for gifted/talented here on BH.

you might want to give it a search, someone around here may be much more helpful.

we ourselves, havent had 'official' assessments yet.. we are still deciding if/why its 'needed'...
but
also its expensive..
and also the ages of our kids.
if its going to be done you want to get the most for your $, and i have read often that when you test young, you often need to go back for more clear thorough testing when the children are older etc, to help understand their complexities etc.

off again..............:ecomcity:

[indigoin0z]

No no I like to hear these things and somewhat understand. From what I have read it is common for siblings to all be gifted and now wonder if my brother could have come under the 'gifted' label but it wasn't nurtured like it would be today due to dyslexic issues. I have an extremely high IQ which I probably play down to the average person..... its always a sense of amusement when people look shocked or stunned when it comes out :o but when I was at school the best you could hope for was a teacher to give you and extra project and my mother had never heard of the term except from what she classed as OTT mothers :rolleyes: My husband is bright as is my mother, however I think my father could have been classed as gifted too and similarly my FIL. I remember my mother telling me once how he could read a book once (in this case car mechanics) and then talk about fixing a car like he had done it a million times despite not knowing the right end of a screwdriver but then I have not known anyone in our families to have this nurtured and developed like perhaps it should have been IYKWIM We were just expected to perform but too often it just made us lazy (well at least me ) because I never had to study or do my homework to perform at an acceptable level....

:D:yes:
yep. that sounds veeeeery familiar!! :cool:

[missie_mack]

we ourselves, havent had 'official' assessments yet.. we are still deciding if/why its 'needed'...
but also its expensive..

from my understanding it is easier to get further help for your child in a school setting if they are assessed (or diagnosed as I like to think) hence why we are considering the assessment process which we were recommended. Until I did some reading I just thought Ds was bright and never really considered the title of 'gifted' because of the connotations that come with it ... and well... most people think their kids are wonderful and just assumed it was us alone that thought he was exceptional :o also our vision may be skewed as DHs nephews are well behind the norm with their own issues.

Being what would be considered within the gifted range myself I often wonder where I could be now in life IF I had had these opportunities but I also wonder if we dumb our children down or push aside we are as guilty as those who don't seek the help required for special needs children (which is in someways a point of worry with our nephews whose parents only do the bare minimum needed for their children despite being behind in their development)

[indigoin0z]

....Being what would be considered within the gifted range myself I often wonder where I could be now in life IF I had had these opportunities but I also wonder if we dumb our children down or push aside we are as guilty as those who don't seek the help required for special needs children (which is in someways a point of worry with our nephews whose parents only do the bare minimum needed for their children despite being behind in their development)

oh i so hear you.
absolutely agree.

that is why i have pushed myself to ACCePT this for my kids... if i cant accept myself & learn skills to manage the complexities that come in life with it, how can i be a hypocryt & babble on expecting them to do something that i have not been willing to do - be truthful about who you are... living your fullest..
wow.
who would think that the programming we are given throughout life could be sooo sabotaging.
i totally believe in "why should i dumb down my kids, just because other adults etc might not understand or have their own 'issues' with it"
but if thats the case "why the h3ll do i allow it with myself..?"

we are actually home-educating currently, so arent 'needed' so much to get kids assessed..
but
when i think about sending them to school,
i do realise [oh, so much more & more, now that i have heard so many others parents stories] that i would definitely have to get them assessed, so they can be treated as important too.... and not a troublemaker..
its a toughie..