It is amazing to watch all children learn and develop as they grow. It often seems as if they only need to be exposed to a word or idea or twice before you hear it start popping up in their own vocabulary. Or the ideas they come up with may be creative and out of the box.

General education is designed to be effective for the most children possible, so it targets the broad average range. This means that children on the very high end and very low ends of the spectrum may struggle to get their needs met in a regular classroom. Children with more difficulty learning can often benefit from additional instruction and assistance, while children on the high end of the spectrum can get bored and lose interest without additional classroom activities. Schools typically offer differentiated programming for children who have been identified as gifted and talented so they can be challenged and work on problem-solving and flexible thinking.

How do you know if your child is gifted?
Signs of gifted children include:
  • Large vocabulary which is advanced for their age
  • Very good memory
  • They learn quickly and don’t need as much repetition as their peers
  • Many gifted children learn to read and write on their own before they are taught.
  • Exceptional understanding of language (they may use puns or other subtle nuances of language which seems above their developmental level)
  • Long attention span and ability to persist on tasks—they may spend hours working on an activity
  • Intensity with interests (they may get very, very excited about whatever they are learning about.
Is My Child Gifted? What Does Giftedness Mean?
Is your child gifted? | Parent
  • Sensitivity—they might be easily frustrated by others and get upset with what others see as casual joking
  • They may have a wide range of interests
  • When faced with new topics, they are often very curious and ask many questions
  • They like to experiment and try things in different ways to see what happens—this includes putting things together in unusual ways
  • They may have many imaginary friends
  • Their sense of humor may be unusual or advanced for their age
  • They may like to organize things and create complicated games with many rules.

If your child’s school suspects your child may be gifted, they will ask to evaluate your child to learn about your child’s cognitive functioning. Children may be identified by teacher observations, their performance on standardized tests, including the state performance testing and COGAT, or by parent request. It varies by state, but in most states, gifted children are identified are those who perform in the top 3-5% of the population in at least one of the following areas:

  • General intellectual ability
  • Specific Academic Aptitude
  • Creative thinking
  • Visual or performing arts
  • Leadership Ability

Further evaluation for giftedness typically includes a measure of cognitive functioning (IQ testing) to determine the child’s abilities with thinking and understanding information. IQ tests vary from one another—some are more language-heavy, while others are totally nonverbal to eliminate any language concerns for those who may speak more than one language or have language-specific difficulties.

Numerous studies have found that minority students are less likely to be initially identified for giftedness evaluations. There are a number of reasons for this institutional bias, but parents and educators need to be aware of indicators for potential giftedness in children from diverse cultures. This is one reason why formal testing for giftedness can be helpful. Psychological tests to assess cognitive functioning provide information that is less influenced by cultural bias. While it is impossible to completely eliminate cultural bias, test-makers have made concerted efforts to create assessments that minimize these biases between cultural groups. As opposed to informal settings, where children who are talkative, active, and acutely sensitive can sometimes be seen as exhibiting challenging behaviors in group and classroom settings, a school or clinical psychologist works with the child one and one to determine their capabilities.

Sometimes gifted children are misdiagnosed with ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Narcissistic personality disorder, and bipolar disorder. While these conditions can certainly occur in a child that is also gifted, sometimes characteristics of giftedness can be misinterpreted and once a diagnosis is made, it can be difficult to get the correct diagnosis.

Diagnosis of behavior disorders
What difficulties do gifted children have?
Gifted individuals can be described as:
  • Dysfunctional perfectionists—they may have trouble meeting their own expectations and have difficulty getting to a final “perfect” product, which may result in work not being completed or conflict between child and educator or child and parent
  • Judgmental—They can have a hard time seeing things from other’s perspectives and become frustrated when others do not share their viewpoint, which may result in conflicts with peers or adults
  • Impatient—Because they learn quickly, they may have difficulty in the general classroom and get in trouble for “hyperactive” or “inattentive” behaviors
  • Idealistic and disappointed with reality—there can be a large discrepancy between an idealized world and what is actually the case. For children who want to solve problems, this can be extremely frustrating and disheartening. This can sometimes be misinterpreted as meltdowns, oppositionality, or depression.
  • Having difficulty finding peers that accept them—because their interests and intellectual levels may differ, gifted children may gravitate towards older children or adults and have difficulty connecting with same-age peers. This can sometimes be misinterpreted as ASD.
ASD and Sensory Processing Disorder

If you suspect that your child is gifted, start with your school and request testing for giftedness. For many families, this process works well and there is no need for outside testing. However, if you are searching for a second opinion or have difficulty getting your questions answered through the school system, an outside psychological evaluation can be helpful

Dr. Jessica Myszak has had over 10 years of experience performing psychological evaluations with children and adults. She offers both in-person and telehealth evaluations. In addition to seeing clients on the Chicago North Shore, she is able to work with families who reside in Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina, Washington DC, and soon, Alabama, Kentucky, and Wisconsin! If you are interested in learning more about potentially working with her, you can visit her website here or email her here to get the process started.