(Originally written on Tuesday, November 9, 2010)
Earlier this afternoon, my 15 month old, Iris, and I went to town to run some errands. In our endeavors, we encountered a lovely older lady who casually struck up a conversation with me about my daughter. She was going down the normal list of compliments that people give to parents when they see their young children, when Iris began to display her, normal to me but probably odd to someone who doesn't know her, behavior. She was, in one instant, displaying her inquisitive side and investigating anything and everything surrounding her, within or not of arm's reach. But in a moment's notice began to throw a tantrum over she only knows what. As her mother, I have become far beyond used to this behavior and write it off, punish or ignore it, depending on the situation at hand and then go about my day. The woman, on the other hand, observed her behavior silently for a few moments and then proceeded to tell me something that has honestly only crossed my mind in rather fleeting moments. She casually and kindly blurted out that Iris is displaying characteristics of being gifted. Now, to the average mind, giftedness tends to invoke thoughts of being highly intelligent (which it is) but once it is investigated more thoroughly, one will find that it is also linked to many different mental and emotional states. Which got me further exploring, can it be genetic? The answer that I found, was yes. As a small child, I was diagnosed with ADD. ADD in it's self is commonly misdiagnosed. The traits and symptoms of ADD/ADHD run so closely with those of giftedness that often times they run one in the same.
Society has such a misunderstanding of what "gifted" really means. When you hear that word, you think perfect attendance, perfect grades, a "goody-goody" if you will. They think someone who is going to grow up and be a literal rocket scientist. But they (people AND doctors) don't investigate matters deeply enough to see the negative aspect of being a gifted child (or adult). Often times, they display intense emotional outbursts, in which I remember clearly doing as a child. They are bored in class, they tend to be rather forgetful. In school I would often show up to class empty handed when it came to home work, not because I didn't want to do it or because I didn't care about my grades, but because I honestly and simply forgot. This would usually lead to me excusing myself to the restroom to cry over a matter that to others could have been so easily avoided. Gifted children often carry almost an inability to focus on anything that cannot instantly captivate their interest. But to view a more positive side of giftedness, it does mean you carry a different level of intelligence than your peers. But not exactly in any or every area. Sometimes it can only be a small amount or maybe even only one area. Which, myself, and many other children that I was grouped with in school, displayed. They also tend to have a strong creative side and a love for anything associated with art. But because of the forgetfulness or tendency to drift away mentally, these students are viewed by their peers as stupid or emotionally unstable.
With my research and vivid memories of my child hood and educational career, this has me wondering if I, too, was misdiagnosed, or it the 2 mental states run together. When I found what the traits of being a gifted child are and how to tell in someone as young as a toddler, I realized that Iris has almost every single one. The other day, I found her looking at her fingers trying to count, and then saying "one, two, three". To many of you reading this, you may be thinking to yourself that I am bragging, but in reality, as much as I love the thought of having a gifted child...the memories of my childhood state of mind, and the feeling of constantly being misunderstood-I'm not so sure if I'm ready to face to "consequences" so to speak. I'm not really sure if there's any way to really plan for, or to prepare for a child who thinks and acts the way I remember thinking and acting. That is assuming I was incorrectly diagnosed, or that the 2 may be more closely linked than doctors believe. Below I have listed just a few traits that small children may carry as signs of being gifted. If your child matches these, I encourage you as the parent to really research giftedness. Fortunately for me, I had a very patient, understanding, and willing mother. (Thank you mom, <3)
Recognizing the Gifted Toddler
We all want to think that our child is the most special of any of their peers, but this is different than being gifted. Some of the signs that your child may be gifted include things such as:
Reaching developmental milestones ahead of their peers ∙
Has a special talent such as drawing or working with numbers ∙
Has a very advanced vocabulary or is further along in their language development than most children ∙
Is very curious and is always asking questions ∙
Is active but not hyperactive ∙
The child has the ability to concentrate on things for long periods of time ∙
Has a very vivid imagination ∙
The child has great memorization and recall abilities
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