Is My Child Gifted?

Medically reviewed by Ann-Louise T. Lockhart, PsyD, ABPP
Updated on December 02, 2021
Fact checked by Emily Swaim

If you have a bright, engaged child, you maywonder if they are gifted. Gifted kids havespecial abilities, traits, and talents—some realized, some not yet. They thrive when given enrichment opportunities tonourish their busy brains and insatiable curiosity, but sometimes need support for social,behavioral, or learning issues, too.

Learn how to assess whether your child is gifted and how to help them tap into their intellectual and creative potential. Here are ideas forkeeping gifted kids engagedas well as happy and healthy as they grow.

Recognizing Giftedness

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常见,stions

  • What percentage of children are gifted?

    It's hard to pinpoint giftedness rates since there is no one assessment tool that's consistently used to determinewhether a child is gifted or not. However, many experts consider children who are in the top 10% relative to a national or local standard to have gifts that merit special enrichment or attention outside a typical curriculum.

    Learn More: How to Determine If a Child Is Gifted or Learns Quickly
  • Do gifted children have special needs?

    Sometimes. Often called "twice exceptional" or "2e", many children show potential for high achievement while also havinglearning disabilitieslike speech and language disorders, emotional or behavioral disorders, physical disabilities,autism spectrum disorder, orattention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). There are times when a gifted trait may be misdiagnosed as a learning disability, so be sure to have a trained learning specialist or developmental pediatrician or psychologist assess your child to determine their true needs.

    Learn More: Underachievement in Gifted Children
  • How do I know if my kid is gifted?

    If you or a teacher thinks your child may be gifted, alearning specialist through your child's school district、发育儿科医生或一个孩子psychologist can use assessment tools to learn more. Tests like Mathematical Abilities for Gifted Students or Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary Students (SAGES) help determine whether your child has an exceptional ability to retain information, while a tool like the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children assesses your child's cognitive potential.

    Learn More: How to Find Someone to Test Your Gifted Child
  • What is a gifted kid?

    Gifted kids perform—or have the potential to perform—at higher levels on various cognitive or creative tasks compared to their peers. Giftednessdoes not look the same for all children. Gifted kids do best when given enrichment opportunities to realize their special abilities and talents.

    Learn More: Identifying the Traits of Gifted Children

Key Terms

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What to Consider Before Testing Your Child for Giftedness
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Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities in Gifted Children
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Emotional Overexcitability of Gifted Children
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The Right Score for Admittance to a Gifted Program
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Different Uses of the Term "Gifted"
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Asynchronous Development in Children
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Understanding Self-Taught Reading
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Giftedness as a Social Construct
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Characteristics of Young Gifted Children
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Intelligence and the Ability to Learn
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Verbally Gifted Children and Their Language Skills
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Belief Perseverance and Experience
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Homogeneous Grouping for Different Types of Students
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Pros and Cons of Heterogeneous Grouping in Classrooms
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Differences Between Academic High Achievers and Gifted Students
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Page Sources
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. National Association for Gifted Children.What is giftedness?. 2021.

  2. Child Mind Institute.Twice-exceptional kids: both gifted and challenged. 2021.

  3. National Association for Gifted Children.Tests & Assessments. 2021.

  4. National Association for Gifted Children.Traits of giftedness. 2021.

  5. Vaivre-Douret L.Developmental and cognitive characteristics of “high-level potentialities” (highly gifted) children.Int J Pediatr. 2011;2011:420297. doi:10.1155/2011/420297

  6. National Association for Gifted Children.Social & emotional issues. 2021.