Learns quickly and asks deep questions
Your child picks up new ideas with little repetition, makes connections you did not expect, or keeps asking how and why long after the lesson ends. You want to understand how to keep that curiosity engaged.
Gifted Assessments and Testing in Calgary
We offer gifted assessments and testing for children from age 6, teens and adults, in person in SW Calgary, as part of a psychoeducational assessment. We look at thinking and learning abilities alongside school experiences to explore advanced abilities, areas of difficulty and possible supports. Testing does not guarantee gifted identification or admission to a school program.
Your child might finish the lesson before everyone else, ask questions that go well beyond it, or explain an idea they struggle to put on paper. We look at those experiences alongside the test results. The aim is to understand what level of challenge fits and where support is needed, whether or not the findings support identification as gifted.
Assessments are completed by Lacy Hunter, Provisional Psychologist, under the supervision of a Registered Psychologist. Results, interpretation, any diagnostic considerations and recommendations are reviewed in supervision before the report is finalized.
What makes families ask about gifted testing?
These patterns can be reasons to ask about an assessment. None proves giftedness on its own, and children do not need to show all six. We start with what you and your child's teachers have noticed.
Bored or disengaged at school
Your child says the work is too easy, rushes through it or stops taking part. We explore whether they need more challenge and consider other reasons for disengagement, including learning difficulties or distress.
Intense feelings or perfectionism
A small mistake can lead to tears, or your child avoids work unless they can do it perfectly. We look at how those feelings affect learning. Strong emotions and perfectionism alone do not establish giftedness.
Skills that do not develop evenly
Your child may discuss complex ideas but struggle with writing, remembering instructions or getting ready for school. We look at the differences between these skills rather than expecting every area to match their strongest ability.
Strengths and difficulties hide each other
Your child understands complex stories but struggles to read them, or explains ideas aloud that never make it onto the page. We explore whether advanced abilities and a coexisting disability, such as a learning disorder or ADHD, could both be part of the picture.
A teacher or program asks for testing
A teacher has noticed advanced learning, or a school program has requested assessment information. Bring the school's questions and current requirements so we can discuss what testing can address before you proceed.
What we look at beyond one IQ score
We choose measures around your child's age, background and the questions you bring. Cognitive results matter, but they need context from academic skills and everyday life. A high score does not tell us everything about how school feels for your child. For more background, read what a psychoeducational assessment includes.
Cognitive abilities across areas
We examine abilities such as verbal and visual reasoning, working memory and processing speed. We interpret these results together, including uncertainty in the scores. A difference between scores may raise useful questions, but does not by itself explain a classroom difficulty.
Academic achievement
Reading, writing and math measures show how your child uses their abilities in school-related tasks. We consider their learning and instruction history alongside the results to understand advanced skills and any areas that need closer attention.
The gap between ability and output
We explore differences between what your child can understand and what they can show in finished work. A gap is a question to investigate, not proof of a disorder or a reason to assume they are not trying.
Attention and executive functioning
When relevant, we look at focus, planning, getting started and keeping track of work, with information from home and school. Advanced reasoning can sit alongside difficulty managing these demands. We consider learning and attention differences when the evidence supports them.
Social-emotional wellbeing
We ask about school experience, friendships, anxiety and reactions to mistakes. If your child has severe anxiety, persistent school refusal or talks about self-harm, seek help from your family doctor or a mental health professional without waiting for testing. Call 911 if there is immediate danger.
Six steps · Clinically supervised
How the Assessment Works
Every assessment follows the same clear process, with each step explained before it happens.
Step 1
A free discovery call
Tell us what you are noticing and what you hope to understand, and we’ll talk through whether an assessment is the right next step.
More about step 1
There is no obligation. If an assessment is not the best fit right now, we’ll say so and point you toward what might help instead.
Step 2
Getting to know your child
We gather background on your child’s development, learning and school experience from you and, where helpful, from their teachers.
More about step 2
This history shapes the assessment plan, so the testing answers your family’s questions instead of running through a standard checklist.
Step 3
A plan built around your questions
Tests are chosen for your child, not pulled from a one-size-fits-all battery.
More about step 3
Depending on your questions, the plan may include cognitive, academic, attention and executive functioning, emotional, behavioural and adaptive measures.
Step 4
Assessment sessions
Warm, paced sessions with breaks, where your child feels comfortable and involved, not just tested.
More about step 4
We explain what each activity is for and follow your child’s pace. Children do their best work when they feel understood, and the results are more accurate for it.
Step 5
Scoring, interpretation and review
Results are scored and interpreted carefully, then reviewed with the supervising Registered Psychologist.
More about step 5
Interpretation, any diagnostic considerations and the recommendations are all discussed in supervision before the report is finalized.
Step 6
Results, report and next steps
We walk you through the findings and give you a detailed written report with practical recommendations for home and school.
More about step 6
The report explains your child’s strengths as clearly as their challenges, and every recommendation is written to be usable in real life, not just filed away.
What you leave with
The findings should help you decide what to do next. Whether the profile supports gifted identification or points to another explanation, we discuss what it means for your child's learning and which recommendations to start with.
A report that explains the profile
You receive a written report with results, their interpretation, your child's strengths and needs, and any limits on the findings. We explain what the scores mean together and how they relate to the questions that brought you in.
Recommendations for challenge and enrichment
Recommendations may include deeper work in an area of interest, less repetition of material already mastered or opportunities to learn at a different pace. We discuss options that fit the findings rather than assuming more worksheets will provide the right challenge.
Information for school planning
We can help you prepare questions for your child's school and explain relevant findings in the report. Bring any requests for documentation before testing begins. School boards decide how assessment information fits their planning and placement processes. A private assessment does not guarantee gifted identification, eligibility or program admission.
Support for twice-exceptional learners
When the findings support a 2e profile, recommendations address advanced abilities alongside learning or attention needs. Your child may need challenging ideas and help with reading, written work or organization at the same time. School planning needs room for both.
Help after you read the report
We stay available to explain findings, discuss which supports to begin with and, when appropriate, help you communicate your child's needs to school. You decide who sees the report. Questions often come up once you have had time to read it.
Common Questions About Gifted Assessments
What age is best for gifted testing?
We assess from age 6, and there is no single best age. Timing depends on your questions, your child's development and school requirements. Tests must have appropriate age norms, so results compare your child with children of a similar age. IQ results in younger children can be less stable and harder to interpret reliably, so findings may need review as they grow. We discuss those limits before recommending testing. For a program application, ask the school which ages, tests and report dates it accepts before booking.
What IQ is considered gifted?
It depends on the definition and the program. There is no single score that establishes eligibility everywhere. Schools may consider particular cognitive results alongside other evidence and their own criteria. We explain the pattern across your child's results, including the limits of an overall IQ score. Ask the school or board for current requirements rather than relying on a number found online.
What does twice-exceptional, or 2e, mean?
Twice-exceptional describes gifted abilities alongside a coexisting disability, such as a specific learning disorder, including dyslexia, or ADHD. Strengths can compensate for difficulties, making support needs easy to miss, and difficulties can hide advanced abilities. A child may need enrichment and disability-related support at the same time. Uneven scores, boredom or strong feelings alone do not establish a 2e profile. We consider the full evidence, including everyday functioning, before reaching conclusions.
Can gifted testing help with CBE GATE or CCSD placement?
Testing can provide information for a school to consider, but cannot guarantee identification, eligibility or admission. The Calgary Board of Education, or CBE, describes Gifted and Talented Education, or GATE, on its website, with referrals beginning through the community school's principal and learning team. Calgary Catholic School District, or CCSD, lists Congregated Gifted programming on its website. Contact your principal to confirm current programming, criteria, referral steps and accepted assessment documentation before booking. We can discuss what the requested testing would involve.
Does my child need a full assessment or just an IQ test?
That depends on the questions. Cognitive testing may address a specific school request, while concerns about reading, writing, attention or emotional wellbeing may call for a broader psychoeducational assessment. We discuss what is already known and what remains unclear before recommending a plan. A full profile is especially useful when strong abilities and everyday difficulties seem at odds, but every child does not need every measure.
How much does gifted testing cost, and is it insured?
Book a Discovery Call and we will share the current fee and what is included. We issue insurance receipts, but coverage varies by plan. Ask your insurer whether it covers gifted testing or psychoeducational assessment by a Provisional Psychologist under the supervision of a Registered Psychologist, including report preparation, benefit limits and receipt requirements. A receipt does not guarantee reimbursement. Ask us about payment terms before proceeding.
How should we prepare our child for gifted testing?
Explain that the assessment helps us understand how they learn and what support might help. Some activities will feel easy and others harder; they do not need to get everything right. Follow the appointment instructions and tell us about worries or sensory needs ahead of time. Avoid practising actual test questions. For teens, ask what they want to understand about their own learning and bring those questions.
Understand how your child learns and what they need
Tell us what you and your child's teachers are noticing, and we will talk through whether a gifted assessment is the right next step. Bring any school requirements or deadlines. Ask about current appointment availability, report turnaround and whether any parts of the process can be offered virtually.
Book a Discovery Call