How to tell if my child is gifted

You do not have to be a budding Einstein to be considered gifted. "Giftedness" is a term that has been around for centuries and, like many features of education that refer to a minority, is shrouded in myth and misunderstanding. Children are generally regarded as being gifted if they are fast learners with a determined focus on topics that are of particular interest to them, and if they tend to perform at levels above their peers.

But there remains confusion among parents and professionals about how to recognise or identify gifted learners. As parents, we want to encourage our children to make the most of their abilities, but if we are not sure about what giftedness is, where do we start?

The conventional way is to measure a child's intelligence quotient (IQ). A full IQ assessment basically measures one's ability to reason verbally, non-verbally, and spatially. Most psychologists think this approach measures "general intelligence", in which this statistic is a surrogate measure of "potential". So, if the average IQ among students is 100, a child with a score of, say, 135 will be regarded as being well above average in intelligence and potential. The IQ measure dates back to the beginning of the 20th century and as such has a high perceived value in the identification of gifted youth.

By the end of the 20th century, though, we had begun to better understand the nature of intelligence and that there are probably more than seven or eight different types of intelligence. Therefore, to have a measure that summarises only three at best is only part of the story. It follows that "giftedness", too, must be more complex and not easily measured by a single statistic. The procedures for identification in this approach are more comprehensive; some still use IQ test results, but the evidence covers more observed behaviours.

So what information should parents look for? The answer depends, to some extent, on the age of the child. Some experts argue that parents should not try to look for signs of giftedness in the very young. Others disagree, thinking that a nurturing environment from an early age is vital.

Young children, under the age of say, seven years, develop unevenly. This is called asynchronous development. Gifted children tend to demonstrate this in more acute ways. For example, a child of seven may have a cognitive (intellectual) age of a 10- year-old but the emotional maturity of a six-year-old.

But if your child shows signs that she or he has some or most of the following characteristics, then there is a fair chance they may be gifted: