Gifted Support Services

Dr. Bradley Siu is a licensed clinical psychologist of 20 years and has brought compassionate healing to individuals and families of nearly all generations and backgrounds. With his wide range of experience as a clinical supervisor, training director, and consultant, he has worked and supported countless complex needs.

With formal training in Nutrition, Trauma, EMDR, Executive Coaching, DBT, Neurofeedback, and Biofeedback, Dr. Siu’s integrated and holistic approach allow him to capture the dynamic complexities of how our intergenerational biology intersect with experiences that influence our development and behavior.

We understand the joys and challenges of parenting high ability children. We are committed to providing education, insight, guidance and emotional support about giftedness. Our goal is to help parents understand the unique characteristics and abilities that define their child’s giftedness and provide them with the practical resources to help address the distinct needs of their gifted child. We provide parents with information to understand their child’s needs from an academic and social-emotional perspective and to help parents advocate on their child’s behalf.

WISC-V

WPPSI-IV

WIAT-III

I-EXCEL ABOVE LEVEL TESTING

I-Excel testing available for 4th-6th graders
Through a collaboration with the University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Center (www.belinblank.org), we are pleased to offer testing for high-ability 4th-6th graders at Gifted Support Center. If your child has scored at the 95th percentile or higher on any section of a nationally standardized test (such as the Iowa Assessments, Terra Nova, or Stanford Achievement Tests) or the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) / Measurement of Academic Performance and Progress (MAPP), and is a current 4th, 5th, or 6th grader, he or she qualifies to take I-Excel, an online assessment developed by the Belin-Blank Center.
Why Test?
When children score at the 95th percentile or higher on a standardized test, it tells us that they understand all or nearly all of the material on the test, but it doesn’t tell the extent of their knowledge or what they are ready to learn next. An above-level test (or a test intended for older students) is a good way to give students more space to show what they know. Above-level test results can be used to help make decisions about educational placement, such as more challenging classes in a particular subject.
What Test Can Students Take?
I-Excel licenses content developed by the testing company, ACT, which was designed to measure the academic progress of junior high students. From that content, the Belin-Blank Center has been identifying the academic talents of bright 4th – 6th grade students for over 20 years. I-Excel is a multiple-choice test including Mathematics, Science, English, and Reading. The test is taken on a computer, and each section takes 30 minutes to complete. Total testing time is 2 ½ hours (including breaks).
Some parents are interested in learning if their student would benefit from acceleration (subject matter acceleration or grade skipping). I-Excel provides the information needed for the “aptitude” section of the Iowa Acceleration Scale, in the case of a grade skipping decision, and provides important information about a student’s aptitude in math, science, English, and reading, which are useful in subject acceleration decisions.
What Do the Results Tell Us?
Families of students who take I-Excel automatically receive a comprehensive interpretation of their test results through IDEAL Solutions® for STEM Acceleration. This interpretation is an excellent starting point for talking to your child’s school about what kinds of curricular interventions might be appropriate.
Registration Information
Registration is completed online. Testing cost is $85.00, payable by credit card online. Reach out through our contact page to inquire about test dates.

CHARACTERISTICS OF GIFTEDNESS ASSESSMENT

Research has shown that gifted individuals have characteristics that fall into the following categories: Advanced Language (i.e., advanced vocabulary, an ability to use more complex and symbolic language), Analytical Thinking (i.e., an ability to discern components of a whole, determine relationships and patterns), Meaning Motivated (i.e., curiosity, an inner drive for thorough, independent understanding, and an extensive memory), Perspective (i.e., an ability to understand and incorporate unexpected or unusual points of view), Sense of Humor (i.e., an understanding of higher levels of humor), Sensitivity (i.e., intense sensitivity to the needs and motivations of others, a strong sense of justice and having high standards of self and others), and Accelerated Learning (i.e., an ability to learn and understand material and concepts beyond the facts and knowledge typical and expected for that age group).
We will assess your child’s strength of evidence of each characteristic and guide you in understanding these strengths and any potential weaknesses.

INTENSITIES/OVEREXCITABILITIES ASSESSMENT

An intensity is a heightened capacity to respond to stimuli of various types. The terms ‘intensity’ or ‘overexcitability’ were chosen to convey the idea that the stimulation is well beyond average in intensity and duration. Intensities can be thought of as an abundance of physical, sensual, creative, intellectual and emotional energy that can result in creative endeavors as well as advanced emotional and ethical development in adulthood. As such, they are a positive force for the gifted, as they feed, enrich, empower and amplify talent.
By assessing your child’s levels of intensities we will help you understand their natural strengths and development potential.

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES ASSESSMENT

Dr. Howard Gardner proposes eight different intelligences that account for a broader range of human potential in children and adults. These intelligences are: Linguistic intelligence (“word smart”), Logical-Mathematical intelligence (“number/reasoning smart”), Spatial-Visual intelligence (“picture smart”), Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence (“body smart”), Musical intelligence (“music smart”), Interpersonal intelligence (“people smart”), Intrapersonal intelligence (“self smart”), and Naturalist intelligence (“nature smart”).
We will assess your child’s preferences and provide you with ways to engage and leverage their strongest intelligences for personal and academic purposes.

Through our consultation services we will guide you to relevant resources to support your family’s needs. During our initial visit with you we will discuss your family’s history, the developmental milestones of your child, your goals and how we can assist you in meeting those goals.
Services include: Educational Advocacy, Assisting with School Placement, and recommendations for professional referrals, resources and local enrichment programs.