While there is not currently a consistent definition of ‘gifted’ in schools across the country, there are generally several key traits that indicate your child may be highly gifted. It’s important to note that in order to be considered ‘gifted,’ one does not need to be high achieving; this dynamic can often play out in individuals with ADHD/ASD who are also gifted. This is often referred to as being ‘2E’ or twice exceptional. Some of signs of giftedness are:
Heightened Curiosity
Highly gifted individuals are often highly curious individuals. There tends to be a deep, intrinsic motivation to explore different aspects of their world and seek out new information about the topics that interest them. This may present as increased curiosity in general, but may also present as having one or more special interests in which the person is highly knowledgeable. It is often seen in ADHD/ASD children as their hyperfocus – if you’ve ever met a child who could tell you more than you ever wanted to know about dinosaurs, it’s possible that they were highly gifted.
Increased ability for comprehension and mastery – often above grade level
Those who are highly gifted tend to be capable of grasping new concepts quickly and easily. It may take far less effort on their part to learn an instrument, understand a difficult mathematics concept, or learn a new language than it may be for their peers. This increased ability for comprehension and mastery is not tied to only academic pursuits, but instead can be seen across their lives.
Impressive memory abilities
An impressive memory may have a direct link to giftedness. Highly gifted individuals may be able to recall large swaths of information, specific complicated details, or some combination of the two. Oftentimes this can be referred to as a photographic memory. Gifted students often do not need to study in the same ways as their peers for upcoming tests and exams.
Increased capacity for creative thinking and problem solving
Often considered a hallmark trait of giftedness, creativity can come in many forms. It is commonly seen in the way that gifted people solve problems; they can often come up with out of the box solutions and connect two ideas in ways others may not have thought of.
Heightened Empathy
Though pop culture may have you believing differently, there is not a direct tie to aloofness and being highly gifted. In fact, many people who are highly gifted may also have a heightened sense of empathy and heightened sensitivity to other people’s emotions. Due to the way their brains may process information differently, it may be easier for them to pick up on subtle, non-verbal cues such as body language.