FAQs

• Can a gifted child have a learning disability?
  Answer: The answer to this question is “yes!” Increasingly, we are discovering that some gifted children have concurrent learning disabilities including, for example, attention deficit disorder and/or other verbal or auditory processing difficulties. These children need special help because they are often able to use their unique abilities to cope with and mask their learning problems. It is especially important to seek professional help when these unique learning profiles are suspected.
• How can I get an appropriate education for my child without being seen as a "pushy parent"?
  Answer: The best thing a parent can do is to become well-versed in all aspects of gifted education, including identification, programming, special populations of gifted and talented children, and advocacy issues . Many resources about these topics are available on the links listed on this web page.
  
  The second thing parents can do is establish a positive working relationship with the local school. Although school districts are not mandated to provide services, many schools offer programs at some grade levels, and all teachers want to do the best for all their children. Thus, it is important for parents to meet with the classroom teacher to explain how they perceive their child's learning needs, inquire if the teacher has observed the same needs, and plan, cooperatively, how they can be partners with the teacher. The ultimate goal of the partnership is to optimize the match between the child's unique learning needs and the grade-level curriculum and instruction. For example, parents may offer to help with assignments that are extensions of the regular curriculum, volunteer to make phone calls to locate community resources, or propose to do research on the internet to assist in some related research. Parents who volunteer in a polite and cooperative manner to ensure that their child's needs are being met are rarely perceived as pushy.
• How do I know if my child is gifted?
  Answer:

  After a determination has been made by either the PPT conducting an individual evaluation or the PPT conducting the group evaluation, a written notification to the parent or guardian is required to convey the results of the PPT evaluations regarding the child’s standing with respect to the gifted and talented classification.

• How do I know if my school offers educational services to gifted and talented children?
  Answer: Interested parents should ask their child's classroom teacher. If parents want to know about services for gifted and talented children and do not yet have a child in the school system, they can request a meeting with the school principal.
• What are the current regulations in Connecticut regarding gifted and talented students?
  Answer: Under current regulations, public school districts in Connecticut are required to identify gifted and talented students, K-12. The process for identifying these students is decided upon by school district personnel. School districts are NOT mandated to provide services to students.