We are particularly looking for an economically and culturally diverse group of candidates who live in the Twin Cities area, or who could conveniently travel here.    

Here are some of the basic requirements:

• Your child must have been previously tested and have an IQ of 130 at the 98th percentile or above.  
• Your child cannot have been tested on ANY intelligence measure in the previous 6 months, or on any Wechsler Intelligence test in the prior year from when we schedule the test with Dr. Ruf.
• Your child's primary language MUST BE ENGLISH.
• Your child must have no diagnosis of any learning disability.
• Testing will be conducted in Dr. Ruf's home office in Golden Valley, Minnesota. We are generally scheduling morning and afternoon appointments for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and morning appointments on Fridays. The testing takes approximately 4.5 to 5.0 hours. We are currently booking appointment dates beginning in early September and will continue to do testing through the end of the year. 
• We can test up to five children in each age group, and the ages we still need are 7 through 12 and 14 through 16. 

If you believe your child would qualify to participate in this testing, please write to me at Kathy@educationaloptions.com for more information.

Many bright idealists find themselves disillusioned in today's world, and they may experience existential depression as they examine their lives and search for meaningfulness. Theyneed more than medications. It is fundamentally more important for those with existential depression to become aware that others have had similar experiences, and to realize that someone truly understands their idealism, disillusionment, and anger that things are not as they "should be." Now here is a book that will help such individuals to understand themselves and their struggles: Searching for Meaning: Idealism, Bright Minds, Disillusionment, and Hope.  

Written by Dr. James T. Webb, publisher at Great Potential Press, the book also includes helpful information and suggestions for actions that disillusioned idealists can use to better manage their feelings and thoughts in ways that will nurture their idealism and provide a sense of satisfaction and contentment.

In the United States, 87% of kids are connected to the Internet. And we all know that can be both good and bad. The question has been, what can parents do to protect their children from harm as they browse the World Wide Web?  

Qustodio is a software product that can help families stay safe. For instance, parents can block harmful websites and set up customizable limits to Internet access. Qustodio offers a free version and a premium version. Check out their website and see if this might be something that could work for you.

Would your gifted child be intrigued to learn about becoming a veterinarian, or perhaps about anthropology in action or radiation or medical microbiology? SIG Beyond Online is offering eight weeks of intensive online study for gifted children ages 4 to 18 in these courses and more, beginning September 23. Learn more about how Beyond Online works. More information about the fall program will be posted in August.

Do you have a child who had to sit in class learning the alphabet, even though he or she was already reading chapter books? Here is another online class for gifted children, where participants can advance at their own pace - Guinevere's Gifted Group (G3). Young gifted learners who are ready for new challenges will find fun and appropriate activities to help them understand and interact with new ideas at the junior high and high school levels. Classes offer age-appropriate activities and accommodations for varied learning styles, as well as social interaction with true peers.

Classes are run on the semester system, and the Fall Semester starts August 15.

A few years ago, we publicized a book by our friends Leslie Schultz and Julia Braulick, The Howling Vowels.  We are happy to announce that their second mother-daughter collaboration is now out - And Sometimes Y.  

These books are recommended for children of any age. The main protagonist is Alexa Stevens, who at 14 is homeschooled, brimming with questions, ready for fun, and profoundly gifted with verbal dexterity. She continues to struggle with the challenges of expressing her own authenticity while accepting others for who they are--and who they are becoming.