How do I know if my child is gifted?
July 15, 2024 Limitations and Neurodiversity
Parents
Giftedness is an ability present from birth that enables people to grasp the complexities of the world in a different way than others. According to the Association Québécoise pour la Douance, between 2.5% and 10% of the population is gifted.
Stereotypes around giftedness
Blockbuster movies have influenced our conception of giftedness. Films featuring introverted students solving mathematical problems deemed impossible, for example. Or a preschooler completing a complex puzzle in record time.
It's hardly surprising, then, that all sorts of names have been given to this group of people: precocious children, gifted, little geniuses, phenoms... In some cases, they're even called by disparaging names such as geeks, nerds, bookworms, etc.
Today, to avoid making an erroneous and hurtful judgment, they are called High Intellectual Potential (HPI) children. Although the intention is good, this name brings a risk of confusion: giftedness is not only intellectual. The term intellectual giftedness should be used, as recommended by the Ministry of Education. Moreover, there are several types of giftedness involving abilities such as imagination or even sensory perception.
Different types of giftedness
Intellectual giftedness |
This is characterized by a high intelligence quotient (IQ) and a great ability to reason, understand, and solve complex problems. |
Creative giftedness |
This manifests itself in an exceptional ability to come up with original ideas and to innovate in all forms of artistic expression. |
Social giftedness |
Exceptional interpersonal skills, natural leadership, and the ability to understand and influence others. |
Sensory giftedness |
Gifted people excel in areas requiring keen perception, such as music or the visual arts. |
Motor giftedness |
It endows the individual with great physical and motor skills, useful for excelling in sport, dance, or any activity requiring good coordination and dexterity. |
Note that this list is not universal. What's more, these five types can be combined in the same person, creating unique and varied profiles.
Giftedness as an advantage: deconstructing the idea of an illness
Giftedness is not a disease. We don't say that someone suffers from giftedness.
On the contrary, it can be quite an advantage. According to the MDDT model (Modèle Différencié de la Douance et du Talent, or Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent) by Dr. Françoys Gagné, a Quebec-based expert in giftedness, it's the mastery of these natural abilities that we refer to as “talent.” As a parent, it's important not to see giftedness as a problem that will make your child's education or life more difficult.
High-potential youngsters can excel in a single area as well as demonstrate mastery levels in several fields of expertise. Although each child is unique, here is a list of traits generally observed in high-potential children:
- Ability to understand and solve problems far more complex than those of their own age
- Depth of emotion and sensory acuity
- Great curiosity, ability to learn quickly and sometimes on their own
- Great enthusiasm for original interests
- Mature or quirky sense of humor
- Great imagination and creativity in problem-solving
- Exceptional memory and rapid absorption of information
- Sensitivity to global issues
Social disadvantages associated with giftedness
These exceptional abilities, held by less than 10% of the population, can lead to excluding those who possess them. In society, these advantages also come with setbacks for young people with high intellectual potential:
- Having trouble with repetitive tasks that don't stimulate them.A constant need to understand the meaning and purpose of every activity. If they don't see how it fits into the bigger picture, they risk disengagement, which can be interpreted as a rejection of the authority of teachers or parents.
- In a learning context, they will expect instructions with nuance and precision.
- Their original interests may make it difficult for them to bond socially with other young people. They may be attracted to older people who share their interests, or to younger people whose vivid imaginations better match their own.
- Their standards of excellence are particularly high, and they unabashedly express high expectations of themselves and others, which can isolate them.
- The fact that they fall outside the social norm often leads to exclusion by their peers, which can affect their self-esteem.
The importance of recognizing giftedness in young people
For many parents, giftedness remains largely unfamiliar. This can sometimes lead to brilliant children receiving the wrong guidance.
It's crucial to seek out additional information so that high potential doesn't remain just potential, but materializes into something beneficial for society and for the individual person.
If this applies to you or someone close to you, it is advisable to consult a specialist. Experts emphasize that IQ stabilizes around the age of 6, so it's never too early to act.
Pertinent links (in french)
Introduction Parlons de douance au Québec - Ordre des psychologues du Québec
Dépistage - Association Québecoise pour la Douance
Haut Potentiel Québec
Reference
Davidson Institute, Characteristics and Traits of Gifted Children
With the exceptional support of Mélissa Bouthillier, M.A., Giftedness and Dual Exceptionality Pedagogical Advisor at the Centre de services scolaires de Laval
