How do you know if your child is gifted or just a very high achiever?
Here’s how to know if your child is gifted.
One of the differences is that they have that strong abstract part of them which can problem solve."
That’s really where the gifted part comes in."
There are some drawbacks to problem solving, especially if it’s not directed at the right problem.
This is the way I can go about doing it.'
They don’t necessarily have that sensitivity trait, but many of them do.
And for many of them, the sensory issues are magnified."
They can take a while to respond to questions because they want to get the right answer.
I think they need a lot more down time."
She told me that gifted kids “get overstimulated much more easily than other kids.
They are on sensory overload a lot.”
They don’t want to be more outgoing.
They need their time away."
Their sensitivity makes it harder for gifted kids to make friends.
And sadly, there are other traits that also make it hard for them to fit in.
Dr. Weiner said, “They want friends, they really do.
But they don’t know how to go about it.
And even with a road map, it doesn’t make any sense to them.
They are never going to fit in that mold.”
Dr. Weiner added that sometimes their peers just don’t “get” them.
“Socially, other people do look at them as if they have two heads.
And I think when they start talking, some other kids become intimidated.
That could be a sign of giftedness.
Dr. Weiner told me, “Small talk for them is very hard.
They don’t want to be talking about what they’re going to be wearing the next day.
They might want to talk about politics or dinosaurs or something they feel is more cerebral.”
They complain of boredom
If your kid complains of being bored in school, pay attention.
They may be saying it to cover up other frustrations that gifted kids have.
Dr. Weiner told me, “They say they’re bored, but something else is usually going on.
Sometimes they’re bored because they have already learned the material.
It’s easier than to find out exactly what’s going on.”
“Gifted kids don’t really get that bored, they usually find endless ways to entertain themselves.”
Dr. Weiner explained, “They are very creative.
They love being an entrepreneur and constantly coming up with new ideas.
They find a multitude of ways to answer a problem.
A non-gifted kid might say, ‘I found one answer, and I’m fine with that.’
These kids will never find one answer.
They will put a multitude of things together.”
A lot of them really care about the process.
They don’t necessarily care about the A.
So finding out what motivates them, it can’t necessarily be the grade.”
They want to explore.
They want to discover new knowledge."
If your kid tends to become obsessed with topics, they very well may be gifted.
Dr. Weiner illustrated with an example.
“We had an AP History class in which they were talking about Van Gogh.
And in an AP class, they have to go very, very fast.
And the kids said, ‘Wait, wait, wait!
Did he go crazy?
What were the ramifications?'”
She added, “That goes on a lot.
They have a lot of unanswered questions a lot of the time.
I know about Van Gogh.’
With my gifted kids, that just doesn’t fly at all.”
She added, “That’s something parents need to be aware of.
I would get them tested for gifted before leading them on the path of [prescription] drugs.”
Dr. Weiner explained, “They always come up with the broad concept before the facts.
What was the name of the pride?'
The kid didn’t answer.
Anything with factual information, the child did not answer.”
She continued, “Finally, the teacher asked, ‘What was this about?’
The kid wassix.”
They do see the big picture first.
But if they don’t understand the big picture first, they can’t move forward.
That’s why so many gifted kids have a hard time in a traditional school."
