• Their background – again, it’s important to know that they have worked with many gifted children and are familiar with the full range of types and levels of giftedness.
• What types of tests they routinely administer, and if the Stanford-Binet 5 is available (if you desire to use that particular test).
• What services are offered – will the tester provide consultations with your child’s teachers, counseling, or any other services?
• What you can expect to pay, and how: hourly, or a flat fee?
• Whether they provide a comprehensive report of the results or just a summary – and if it’s just a summary, how much extra a comprehensive report will cost.
• Whether or not they will accept insurance, and if so, which insurance they’ll accept.

No matter how old your child is at the time of the test, it’s important to explain what’s going to happen beforehand.  Many kids (especially perfectionist gifted ones), upon hearing the word “test,” may become nervous because they think this is something they can pass or fail.  Explain to your child that the test is just a way to discover how she learns best, and that there are no “passes” or “failures.”  And don’t coach her before the test; obviously, it makes for an inaccurate assessment, thus defeating the purpose.  Tell your child that if he doesn’t know how to answer some of the questions, he should still try to make an educated guess; many gifted children, beginning around the age of eight or nine (interestingly enough, mostly girls), will answer “I don’t know” if they’re not 100% certain.