When Your Child Seems Different — In the Best Possible Way
Some children ask questions that stop you in your tracks. They make connections between ideas that adults haven’t thought of. They read voraciously, build elaborate imaginary worlds, or dissect the logic of every rule you give them before agreeing to follow it. And then you get a call from the school saying your child is disruptive, bored, or not meeting expectations.
This is one of the most common — and most frustrating — scenarios I encounter as a registered psychologist in Calgary. A child with exceptional intellectual ability who is not being served by their current learning environment. And parents who know something is different about their child but can’t get the system to recognize it.
As both a psychologist and a parent, I know how important it is to get this right. Gifted children who are not identified and properly supported are at significant risk of disengaging from education entirely. And they deserve better than that.
What Does "Gifted" Actually Mean?
In Alberta, giftedness is defined as exceptional potential or performance across one or more of the following areas:
- General intellectual ability
- Specific academic aptitude (exceptional ability in one or more subject areas)
- Creative thinking and problem-solving
- Leadership and social ability
- Musical talent
- Artistic ability
- Kinaesthetic ability (exceptional physical coordination, body awareness, or athleticism)
Giftedness occurs in approximately 2% of the population. It is not the same as being a high achiever or a hard worker, although gifted children are sometimes both. Giftedness refers specifically to exceptional cognitive potential — the intellectual horsepower to learn and process information at a significantly higher level than age peers.
And it’s not always obvious. Some of the most intellectually gifted children I’ve assessed were not the top students in their class. They were the bored ones. The underachievers. The ones who had stopped trying because nothing at school felt challenging enough to be worth the effort.
Common Signs of Giftedness in Children
No two gifted children look exactly alike, but these patterns appear frequently in my assessments:
Intellectual Indicators
- Learns new concepts unusually quickly and with minimal repetition
- Has an exceptionally large vocabulary for their age
- Asks complex, abstract, or philosophical questions from a very young age
- Reads significantly above grade level — often self-taught
- Demonstrates advanced reasoning and problem-solving ability
- Has an exceptional memory for facts, patterns, or information they find interesting
Intellectual Indicators
- Becomes easily bored with repetitive or low-challenge tasks
- May seem "difficult" or disruptive in a classroom that doesn't challenge them
- Highly sensitive — to emotions, injustice, sensory input, or the feelings of others
- Intensely focused and passionate about specific interests
- Prefers the company of older children or adults
- May have a strong sense of humour and sophisticated wit
It’s worth noting that many of these traits can also look like ADHD, anxiety, or behaviour problems when a gifted child is in an environment that isn’t meeting their needs. This is one of the reasons a formal assessment by a qualified psychologist is so important — it can distinguish between giftedness, ADHD, giftedness combined with ADHD, and other presentations that may superficially resemble each other.
What Is a Twice-Exceptional Child?
One of the most important — and often missed — presentations I assess is what’s known as being “twice-exceptional”: a child who is both gifted and has a learning disability or ADHD. These children are particularly vulnerable because their gifts and their challenges can mask each other. Their high cognitive ability compensates for their learning difficulties, while their learning difficulties prevent their gifts from fully showing up academically.
Twice-exceptional children are frequently misidentified as average students — or as problems. A comprehensive psychoeducational assessment is the only reliable way to identify this profile and ensure these children get the support they need in both directions: programming for their gifts and accommodations for their challenges.
Westmount Charter School — What You Need to Know
Westmount Charter School is one of Calgary’s most sought-after educational options for gifted learners. It is a publicly funded school that provides a specialized learning environment designed around the needs of intellectually gifted students. For families applying to Westmount, an individual IQ test administered by a registered psychologist is required as part of the application process.
At Impact Psychological Services, I offer cognitive-only testing for Westmount Charter School applications at $1,250 CAD. This test provides the intellectual functioning data that Westmount requires, administered in a professional, supportive setting by a registered psychologist with extensive experience in gifted assessment.
Individual IQ tests, as opposed to group-administered tests, provide the most accurate and nuanced picture of a child’s intellectual ability. They allow a skilled psychologist to observe not just what a child scores, but how they approach problems, where they excel, and where there may be specific areas of strength or challenge. This level of detail is exactly what the Westmount application process is designed to capture.
What Does a Gifted Assessment at Impact Psychological Services Include?
A full gifted assessment at my Calgary practice includes both cognitive and achievement testing, at a fee of $2,500 CAD. Cognitive-only testing (for Westmount applications or when only intellectual functioning data is needed) is $1,250 CAD.
The Full Gifted Assessment Process
The report from a gifted assessment can be used to advocate for your child in their current school, to apply for specialized programming, and to support applications to schools like Westmount Charter.
What Happens After a Gifted Identification?
Identification is the beginning — not the end. Once a child is formally identified as gifted, there are several pathways worth exploring in Calgary:
- Gifted programming within Calgary Board of Education (CBE) and Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) schools
- Application to Westmount Charter School
- Enrichment and extension programming within their current classroom
- Subject acceleration or grade acceleration in specific areas
- Access to community gifted programs and resources through GATE Calgary
I work with families not just to identify giftedness, but to help them understand what it means and how to advocate effectively for the programming their child deserves.
Your Child's Potential Deserves to Be Understood
Giftedness is a gift — but it comes with its own challenges, and it needs to be nurtured. An unidentified or unsupported gifted child is at real risk of disengaging, underachieving, and losing the love of learning that is one of their most valuable qualities.
If you have a feeling that your child is more capable than the system is recognizing — trust that instinct. In my experience, parents are right far more often than they’re given credit for. A formal assessment gives you the evidence you need to ensure your child gets the education they deserve.
Ready to take the next step?
Book an appointment with Lesley today. Call (403) 829-0818. You don’t have to navigate this alone.