First of all, you don't tell us your child's age. It is best not to test a child before he or she is at least 4 1/2 years of age, and it is also best to let a professional who is used to working with gifted children do the testing to ensure that you have accurate results. However, by comparing your child to other children the same age you should have a good idea if your child is showing signs of giftedness.

Have you noticed that your young child:

• -is interested in computers
• -enjoys puzzles
• -has advanced language development
• -is extremely curious
• -asks an excessive number of questions
• -is interested in books
• -demonstrated an ability to read at an early age
• -is very alert
• -has high levels of energy
• -requires less sleep
• -demonstrates a good memory
• -is especially talented in art or music
• -has good written skills
• -is very independent
• -is highly mathematical

What makes identification of gifted children so difficult is that not all gifted children act the same way. Keep in mind that there are many ways that children can be gifted. If you decide not to have your child privately tested and wait until the child reaches school, your school district will typically test for giftedness using either an IQ test or an achievement test.