At a glance
- At Deniz Yıldızı, intelligence assessments are conducted by a psychologist; unless there is a special condition, WISC-IV is preferred as it is more up-to-date, and WISC-R is used when necessary.
- The results are not given as a single total score; the full-scale score and index scores are explained to the family together, relating them to the child's real life.
- For children who reach the ceiling of the test, reporting is done through qualitative observation, and they are referred for advanced assessment if necessary.
- In case of a suspected twice-exceptional (2e) condition such as ADHD or learning disability, additional assessment is conducted and they are referred to a physician.
- The program uses enrichment and acceleration together; one-on-one support, group work, and parent counseling are offered for perfectionism and intense sensitivities.
- Consulting on the BİLSEM diagnosis process is provided if the family requests it.
Prepared by: Deniz Yıldızı Special Education content team · Scientific review: Psychologist (MSc) Burcu Cebeci Gürel · Last updated: 15 September 2026
What does it mean for a child to be gifted or have high intelligence?
Some children read much earlier than their peers, ask abstract questions, dive deeply into a subject for hours, or reconstruct a complex game by changing its rules. Families often notice this difference early on, but it is not easy to figure out what it means and how to support it.
High intelligence means that a child's thinking, reasoning, and learning skills are significantly ahead of their peers. Giftedness is a broader concept; it can encompass extraordinary potential in areas like art, music, or leadership alongside intellectual strengths.
These children are not expected to be ahead in everything. A child who is very advanced intellectually might be at or below their age level in managing emotions, making friends, or handwriting. That is why in an assessment we look at the child's entire profile, not just a single number.
Phrases you often hear as a family like 'they are just being naughty, otherwise they are very smart' or 'they can do it if they want' might hide the child's true needs. A child getting bored at school, not being able to focus, or avoiding homework can be tied to different reasons, and understanding this requires a proper assessment.
How is an intelligence assessment done, and which test is used?
At our center, a psychologist conducts the intelligence assessment. The table below shows the key details of the process.
| Topic | How it works at our center |
|---|---|
| Scale used | WISC-IV and WISC-R; unless there is a special condition, WISC-IV is preferred as it is more up-to-date |
| Administered by | Psychologist |
| Duration | Takes more than 1 hour |
| Interpretation of results | Full-scale score and index scores together; the child's profile is explained |
| Explanation to the family | Scores are related to real-life examples, supporting the parent's concrete understanding of the process |
| If the test ceiling is reached | Reported with qualitative observation, referred for advanced assessment if necessary |
| If another condition is suspected | Additional assessments in attention and learning areas are conducted, referred to a physician |
Why isn't an intelligence test result explained as a single number?
WISC-IV provides index scores showing different thinking areas alongside a general full-scale score. Two children can get the exact same total score and have very different strengths.
Full-scale score
A summary of the child's general intellectual functioning. When used alone, it might hide the differences between the child's strong areas and the areas where they struggle.
Index scores
Shows areas like verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed separately. This profile is highly valuable for understanding how the child learns.
Real-life reflections
When discussing the scores with you, we connect them to questions like 'how does this look at home, why does this happen at school.' This way, the report doesn't just stay in a file; it becomes useful in daily life.
Qualitative observation
How the child solves questions, what they do when they struggle, and when they get bored are also noted. These observations complete what numbers cannot say.
What is asynchronous development, and why does my child act younger in some areas?
Asynchronous development means that a child's different developmental areas do not progress at the same rate. For example, a child who can converse with older children intellectually might cry much more intensely over a small disappointment than expected for their age.
This situation is confusing for families: 'Why is such a smart child getting so upset over such a small thing?' In reality, the speed of the mind and the ability to regulate emotions do not mature on the same timeline.
At our center, we explain asynchronous development with examples during the consultation. We add social-emotional goals to the program, and if the family agrees, we share this information with the school. Thus, both the child's intellectual curiosity and emotional needs are addressed simultaneously.
Can they be both very smart and have ADHD? Twice-exceptional (2e) profile
A twice-exceptional (2e) profile is the co-occurrence of high intelligence with a developmental difference such as ADHD, specific learning disability, or others. Strengths can mask challenges, and challenges can mask strengths.
Signs that might prompt an additional assessment
- Verbally very bright, but struggles significantly with written tasks
- Focuses for hours on a favorite topic, but cannot even start other tasks
- Unexpectedly behind peers in reading or writing
- Significant differences between index scores on the intelligence test
- Described at school as 'could do it if they wanted', but the child says they can't
How do we proceed at our center?
- We conduct additional assessments focusing on attention and learning areas
- If there is suspicion, we refer to a physician along with our observations
- We provide support on the assessment and special education side
- We build the program by keeping both the strong areas and the challenging areas in mind
How is a support program built for a child with high intelligence?
The process follows the same starting steps for every family; however, the program is individualized according to the child's profile.
Scheduling an appointment
When you call us, our assistant listens to you and schedules a day for a comprehensive expert consultation. Requests from the website are replied to on the same day.
Comprehensive Expert Consultation
In a consultation lasting about 1 hour, Burcu Cebeci Gürel takes a detailed developmental history (anamnesis) and provides you with an initial verbal evaluation.
Assessment
The psychologist administers the WISC-IV or, when necessary, WISC-R. If needed, additional measurements in the attention and learning areas are planned.
Sharing results with the family
Full-scale and index scores are explained with examples from the child's daily life. Time is allocated for your questions.
Parent coaching
Family-specific information is provided regarding asynchronous development, perfectionism, and support at home.
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Enrichment and acceleration are planned together, and social-emotional goals are added. The program is prepared collaboratively by the team and updated every 3 months.
Enrichment or acceleration? What does social-emotional support cover?
At our center, we use both approaches together. While respecting the child's pace, we aim to deepen their thinking rather than just loading more information.
Enrichment
Expanding the topics the child is interested in, and enabling them to think, question, and produce from different perspectives.
Acceleration
Opening up space for the child to move on to more advanced content in areas where they are ready; preventing boredom and loss of motivation.
One-on-one support
Individualized work for perfectionism, fear of making mistakes, low frustration tolerance, and intense sensitivities.
Group work
Learning social skills by experiencing them, such as collaborating with peers, waiting for their turn, and being open to different ideas.
Parent coaching
Guiding the family on how to approach intense questions, power struggles, and emotional outbursts at home.
BİLSEM consulting
If the family requests it, we provide information and consulting about the BİLSEM diagnosis process. The Ministry of National Education (MEB) carries out this process.
What do the common terms in the field of giftedness mean?
- WISC-IV
- An individually administered intelligence scale developed for children. It provides index scores alongside the full-scale score.
- WISC-R
- The previous version of the same scale. Used at our center when there is a special condition.
- Full-scale score
- The general summary score obtained from all areas in the test.
- Index score
- A sub-score showing a specific thinking area, such as verbal comprehension or working memory.
- Ceiling effect
- The inability of the test to fully measure the child's true level because the child solves even the hardest questions on the test.
- Asynchronous development
- The progression of intellectual, emotional, social, and physical development at different rates.
- Twice-exceptional (2e)
- The co-occurrence of high intelligence with a difference such as ADHD or learning disability.
- Enrichment
- Deepening and expanding learning within age-appropriate topics.
- Acceleration
- The child moving on to more advanced content in the area they are ready for.
- BİLSEM
- Science and Art Center; an educational institution affiliated with the Ministry of National Education (MEB) for specially talented students.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my child is gifted?
Early and rich use of language, intense curiosity, abstract questions, and diving deeply into a subject are common signs. However, these signs alone are not enough. A sound answer requires an individual assessment by a psychologist.
Which intelligence test is administered at Deniz Yıldızı?
WISC-IV and WISC-R are used. Unless there is a special condition, WISC-IV is preferred because it is more up-to-date. The psychologist decides which scale is appropriate prior to the assessment.
Who administers the intelligence test and how long does it take?
The test is administered by a psychologist at our center. The application takes more than 1 hour. The environment and pace are adjusted to the child so they do not get tired.
Is only an IQ score given as the result?
No. We evaluate the full-scale score and index scores together and explain the child's profile. By relating the scores to real-life examples, we help you understand the process concretely.
What happens if my child solves even the hardest questions on the test?
This situation is called the ceiling effect, and the test may not fully show the child's true level. In such cases, we report our observations qualitatively and refer for advanced assessment if necessary.
Why is a very smart child so emotionally sensitive?
Intellectual development and emotional regulation skills may not progress at the same rate; this is called asynchronous development. We explain this with examples during the consultation and add social-emotional goals to the program.
Can a child with high intelligence also have ADHD?
Yes, this situation is called a twice-exceptional (2e) profile. When there is suspicion, we conduct additional assessments in the areas of attention and learning and refer to a physician.
Is your program based on enrichment or acceleration?
We use both together. While deepening the child's interests, we also provide space to advance to more complex content in areas where they are ready. The balance is established according to the child's profile.
Do you provide support for a perfectionist child who gets very upset when making a mistake?
Yes. We offer one-on-one support, group work, and parent coaching for perfectionism, low frustration tolerance, and intense sensitivities. We decide together which one is appropriate after the assessment.
Do you help with the BİLSEM process?
If the family requests it, we provide consulting on the BİLSEM diagnosis process. The Ministry of National Education (MEB) carries out the diagnosis process; we inform the family about the process and discuss the child's needs together.
Are the assessment results shared with the school?
We care about sharing information about asynchronous development and the child's needs with the school. Sharing is done when the family agrees.
Are the sessions individual or group?
At our center, one-on-one and group work are conducted in a mixed manner; the appropriate arrangement for your child is determined after the assessment.
How do you track if the program is working?
We track progress with periodic test repetitions and observation notes. The program is updated every 3 months, and brief information is given to the parent at the end of each session.
What should I do as a first step?
You can request a comprehensive expert consultation by calling us. Burcu Cebeci Gürel takes a detailed history in a consultation lasting about 1 hour and verbally explains where to begin.
