Proper evaluation and diagnosis is essential. Psychological and educational testing are important parts the evaluation as well. TOVA suggests that a score within the average range may actually be abnormal in an individual with an IQ in the gifted range. Gaps between intellectual ability and actual performance may indicate areas of learning disability. If the student is particularly creative, the parents may want to bring a portfolio of his work to the assessment.
Proper evaluation is beneficial even if the student doing fairly good work in school.
Many bright adults are not diagnosed until they are much older. As children, they used their superior intellectual and creative abilities to develop their own learning strategies. Sometimes, this produces a creative, individualistic adult. Often, though, they experience the chronic strain of trying to compensate, and the shame of low achievement. The gifted student may be eager to know more about his diagnosis.