My next conversation
Observation notes for a conversation with the school or a professional.
Education at the heart of our mission
Education
opens new
paths.
Fondation Angelo Crisci aims to improve access to education to help prevent poverty.
Within this mission, our focus on intellectual giftedness is directed towards people who need support in their educational journey.
Learn.
Find a place to belong.
New paths
opening up.
Access to education brings us togetheropening up.
Our focus on intellectual giftedness
Room to grow, beyond a label.
Supporting access to education also means considering needs that may be misunderstood.
The Foundation has chosen to support intellectually gifted people who need help in their educational journey, including young people who feel misunderstood and people whose giftedness coexists with ADHD or other needs.
Intellectual giftedness is not a mental disorder and is distinct from ADHD. The two can coexist. Being gifted does not mean a person is struggling or experiencing poverty.
How we help
Financial support
for organizations.
The Foundation provides financial support to registered charities that improve access to education.
By supporting their work, it helps make education more accessible and prevent poverty.
The Foundation does not provide diagnostic assessments, consultations or individual care.
Fondation Angelo CrisciProvides financial support
Registered charitiesReceive this support
People on their educational journeyBenefit from these organizations’ work
Quebec and Canadian references on giftedness: Ordre des psychologues du Québec (in French) · Quebec Ministry of Education (PDF, in French) · Canadian Psychological Association (in French)
Fondation Angelo CrisciEducational resources
Resources for young people and their families
Better understand
educational needs.
These examples can help prepare for a conversation. They cannot establish whether someone is intellectually gifted.
Exploring these questions as a family? Start with the young person’s experiences and what they have to say, without imposing a label. These general resources complement the Foundation’s work of funding registered charities.
The early years
Enter their world through play.
What you may notice
Spontaneous connections between ideas, surprising understanding or original ways to solve a game. Keep specific examples without putting the child through tests.
A first step
Offer a story, a building activity or open-ended play. Listen to their explanations and talk with their early childhood educator. Make room for free play and rest.
The school years
Look beyond grades.
What you may notice
Quick understanding, thoughtful questions or original solutions. Also note any gap between what the child understands and what they can demonstrate in their work.
A first step
Compare your observations with those of the school. Discuss an appropriate challenge and notice any changes in enjoyment of learning, participation or fatigue. Boredom can have several explanations.
The teenage years
Make room for their voice.
What you may notice
In-depth interests, complex reasoning or connections across subjects. Also listen to what they say about unseen efforts, obstacles and what they would like to change.
A first step
Ask: “When do you feel you belong? What would you like people to understand?” Prepare together for a conversation with a trusted adult or the school team.
Any assessment should be tailored to the child and their needs. If a difficulty concerns you, seek advice without delay.
These age groups organize the examples; they are not criteria for identifying intellectual giftedness.
Quebec and Canadian resources: Quebec Ministry of Education (PDF, in French) · Canadian Psychological Association (in French)
A starting point for conversation
From an impression
to a specific situation.
Prepare for your next conversation with the school or a professional. Describe a real moment and make room for the young person’s voice. These notes can help even when the question of giftedness remains open.
What would you like people to understand?
You can talk about what feels easy, what takes effort and what would help you. Your questions deserve a conversation, whether or not giftedness has been confirmed.
“I wish people understood…”
Complete this sentence in your own words.
This conversation worksheet is offered as a resource on this site. It does not calculate a score or provide any conclusion about giftedness. Downloading it creates a text file (.txt).
Your entries stay on this page: nothing is transmitted or saved automatically. Avoid names and identifying information. If you download the worksheet, keep it in a private place.
A few essential points
Understanding,
without shortcuts.
General information. For an individual situation, a professional can help build a full understanding of the person’s needs.
Very sensitive, curious or often bored: gifted?
These observations can have many explanations. They are not enough to identify giftedness. It is more useful to describe situations, gather several perspectives and consider what the young person needs.
Are very good grades required?
No. School results alone can neither confirm nor rule out intellectual giftedness. Context, learning opportunities, language and possible difficulties can influence what is visible.
Who can help clarify the question of giftedness?
A psychologist with expertise in child assessment can explore this question. The process combines appropriate measures, the young person’s history and several sources of information. The aim is to understand how they function and what they need, beyond a number.
Can giftedness and ADHD coexist?
Yes. Intellectual giftedness and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are distinct, but they can coexist. Giftedness can also coexist with other disorders or needs. Strengths may mask difficulties, and vice versa; the person’s overall functioning needs to be considered.
What if the young person is struggling now?
Do not wait for giftedness to be confirmed before seeking support. Persistent distress or a concerning change deserves a conversation with a health professional or the school team. Giftedness should not become the automatic explanation for every difficulty.
Help this work continue
Support the mission.
The Foundation puts its resources to work. Your donations help sustain its mission of improving access to education and preventing poverty.
Registered charity number: 733106728RR0001.
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