For parents: Recognizing and changing inappropriate services through an interactional approach

When a gifted child appears to have difficulty adapting to school, typically either the school or the child receives the blame. The source of the problem situation often resides in the interaction of school and child factors. One approach to alleviating such problems stems from a systems or interactional model. This article provides parents with specific strategies, based on an interactional model, for working effectively with schools to ensure the best possible services for a gifted child. Major steps include recognizing the need for intervention, developing parent‐school partnerships for change, and monitoring progress.