Being challenged is part of the learning process. Individuals who are pushed to learn topics out of their comfort zone can expand their minds and increase their intelligence. Experts agree that this can be said of gifted children, who many believe are not given the proper education in school systems.

For instance, Brittany Goodman, mother of a gifted child, recently sent a letter to her state representative in Ohio after the gifted services funding was cut, the Chilicothe Gazette reports.

She outlined a need for state services to fund gifted student programs, in order to help them continue to challenge bright young learners in the classroom. Her daughter was accepted into the Program of Advanced Training (PAT) after she got into trouble for her behavior, but displayed extremely high intelligence. Once she entered the program, the conduct issues were alleviated because her mind was occupied and challenged, according to the news source.

PAT requires students to create projects on books they have recently read. For example, the children finished Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, and were tasked with preparing and presenting a report on a god or goddess. The teacher also participated in the project, which Goodman said was a very effective way of teaching, the media outlet reports.

Parents who believe their child may be gifted should use an IQ test to help measure their intelligence and their propensity for learning new topics.

According to the National Association for Gifted Children, there are nearly 3 million academically gifted children in the grades K-12 in the U.S.