5 Signs That Your Child Is Highly Gifted
Louise Peralta
Let me just get this out of the way… All children are special. They’re all different, but each and every one is special.
But having a highly gifted child would be an absolute bonus, not only for a parent but for the child as well.
I mean, if the child is highly gifted, wouldn’t that give them so many opportunities in the future? Strictly speaking, wouldn’t any parent be happy to see that their child has an advantage over others? Sure, it may be inherently selfish to think about, but you’ll always think about your child first before any other human being, sometimes including yourself.
Throwing in a parent’s rose-colored glasses, a child will always be gifted. Knowing if yours is highly gifted, on the other hand, is a different type of struggle. Luckily, neuroscience experts have found signs to indicate if you have a gifted kid!
5 Signs That Your Child Is Highly Gifted:
Asynchronous Development
According to the National Association For Gifted Children, “asynchrony is the term used to describe the mismatch between cognitive, emotional, and physical development of gifted individuals.”
The meaning may sound a bit discouraging, but asynchrony just means that some parts of the brain are developing more rapidly than others. Think of it this way: as many TV shows and movies have always portrayed, a child who excels academically will often be socially awkward or struggle with regulating their emotions.
Emotional Depth And Sensitivity
As we just mentioned, gifted children may experience difficulties in handling their emotions. A gifted child is said to have more complex and more intense emotions than their same-aged peers.
“Emotional intensity in the gifted is not a matter of feeling more than other people, but a different way of experiencing the world: vivid, absorbing, penetrating, encompassing, complex, commanding – a way of being quiveringly alive,” an article from the Davidson Institute for Talent Development said.
Existential Questioning
Now, children are curious creatures. Gifted ones possess an even more curious mind. The curiosity they have is not limited to simple things though.
Humans often experience existential crises during their later years of life after they experience something traumatic or during a transitional period in their lives, but gifted children are said to experience this spontaneously. Maybe having a curious mind and erratic emotions may lead to sudden existential questioning and existential depression.
An article written by a psychologist specializing in gifting children and adults wrote that gifted individuals tend to be idealistic because they are able to consider the possibilities of how things might be, but they’re also aware the world is falling short of how it might be.
“Because they are intense, gifted children feel keenly the disappointment and frustration which occurs when ideals are not reached. Similarly, these youngsters quickly spot the inconsistencies, arbitrariness and absurdities in society and in the behaviors of those around them. Traditions are questioned or challenged,” James T. Webb wrote.
Unique Interests Or Quirky Sense Of Humor
You probably didn’t think that a unique interest and a mature sense of humor can gauge if a person is highly gifted, no?
We all have our hobbies, and we laugh at different things, but when a child is able to process or make an intelligent joke or pun, they’re probably gifted.
“This sentence contains exactly threee erors.”
I feel like a simple joke such as that one, when given by a child, would confuse the heck out of anyone. A child would also probably tell their joke to another child as well, so good luck with that one, kid.
Underachievement In School
A smart kid underperforming at school? Impossible!
“When talking about ‘intellectually gifted students,’ underachievement is a frequently mentioned phenomenon within educational contexts,” said a study about gifted students.
Researchers have argued that gifted children often underperform because they lack motivation and get bored with anything related to their academics because they don’t feel challenged enough with their current curriculum. Others propose that gifted children purposefully do badly in school in order to fit in with their peers.
Gifted children often feel the pressure of doing well in everything. As a parent, you would want them to excel, and that often leads to strict parenting, but that often causes added stress. Let your child explore their interests and set an appropriate pace for learning. And please, always listen to your child and encourage them every step of the way!
