Gifted children develop cognitively faster than they develop emotionally or physically. They also develop different than other children. It can be important to identify if your child is gifted. This way they can be in educational programs that will offer them the right level of challenge. If they are recognized early, they will also be able to be helped in areas that they may struggle, such as social areas. Gifted children can be identified as early as three years old. You need to know the early signs for gifted children, and the signs that a school age child may exhibit.
Early Signs
Early signs of advanced cognitive development may take place in infancy. The early signs include, but are not limited to:
- Uncommon alertness as an infant
- Longer attention span than other children of their age
- High activity level
- Recognition of caretakers early
- Astounding memory
- Quick learning such as early language development
- Fascination with books
- Uncommon curiosity
- Vivid imagination
If you notice any of these signs, you want to get your child tested to ascertain if they are truly more cognitively developed than their peers.
Signs During Education
Sometimes children do not exhibit telltale signs when they are extremely young, so they join their peers in school. There are signs that they may exhibit in school that show that they are gifted learners:
- Score two or more points above standard on intelligence test
- Perform grade levels above where they are
- Get perfect, or close to perfect, scores on tests and assignment with little to no effort
- Leave assignments incomplete due to getting bored
- Finish work too quickly and/or do not pay attention in class
- Struggle socially
If you notice any of these signs, you may want to talk to the school to find out if there are tests or special programs your child could benefit from.
Identifying Your Child
If you think your child may be gifted, get them tested. The next step is to make sure that you give them the support that they need. Use school programs, online resources and extracurricular activities to make sure that your child is supported academically and emotionally. You cannot give your child the support that they need if you do not know if they are gifted.
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