Barbara Klein, Ed.D.

From the current (April) issue of Working Mother magazine:

Helping your bright child flourish by Susan Gerstenzang

At preschool pickup, you've noticed your child uses a lot more words and complete sentences than her peers. On the way home, she runs your mind ragged with questions and wants to know how to do everything. And oh, that wild imagination! Precocious, yes, but is it more? If you suspect your child is gifted but think it's better not to make too much of it, you might want to rethink your stance.

When you find out a bright child is gifted, you can manage her life and learning in a way that helps her thrive, says Barbara Klein, PhD, the author of Raising Gifted Kids. And if, like some gifted kids, she's anxious or hyper due to intense feelings or bored due to lack of stimulation, early testing can help you understand and accommodate these behaviors. "Try to have a child tested by age five," advises Dr. Klein. "Early testing may be more accurate since the child hasn't been in a formal school setting where she might have begun downplaying strengths to fit in."

Be sure to have your child assessed by a psychologist who specializes in testing gifted children. Ask your pediatrician or preschool director for recommendations. The test will not only identify strengths, it will also reveal weaknesses—kids can be gifted in some areas and not others. "Knowing what your child is good at and also where she might need support helps you plan her education," Dr. Klein says.

If you're worried that identifying your child as gifted will turn her into a social outcast, Dr. Klein suggests the opposite may be true. "Many gifted children get along well with peers, while some have trouble making friends because of their maturity or intensity." If interactions are a problem, testing your child can lead to her being placed in programs or schools with peers more like her, and that will foster interaction.

To flourish, a gifted child needs to be in the right school. "Her originality must be cultivated so she can develop into her true self," says Dr. Klein, who recommends parents search for preschools and elementary schools in which children learn not through conformity but through independent and group projects. This project-based-learning approach keeps talented kids engaged and relating to others through shared activities.

With a gifted child, you may be in for a wild ride of heightened emotions and perfectionism. So don't go it alone. Busy as you are, find and join a gifted-children parenting group to share ideas and offer support. Like every child, yours needs to be embraced and nurtured for who she is, so she can explore the depths of her talents and abilities.