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Thanks for posting that! I saw the link this morning but hadn't read it yet. What a kid!

He sounds like a nice kid in a nice family, and I'm glad they're finding solutions that work for him. Good for them!

I must admit, however, that I have some mixed feelings about his parents saying "he's just an average kid" and Cavalin saying that "other kids can achieve his success if they study hard and stay focused on their work."

While I understand and appreciate the humility intended, I don't think either of those statements are strictly true. "Average" 10yos can't go to college, no matter how hard they study or how focused on work they are.

I realize I'm being a little nit-picky, but I always worry when the differences between GT kids and ND kids aren't acknowledged. We already run into enough people who think our kids are HG+ strictly because we hothouse them. Statements like these make it sound like that's what this family did, even though I'm pretty sure that's not what happened.

I'm not sure what I would have them say instead. These kids are too complicated to sum up in a sentence--they play soccer, collect toy cars...and study wormholes in their astrophysics classes. The way they are confuses people who don't get them. They're like other kids and they're not, all at the same time. Maybe the problem is with the way the reporter chose to write the story. I don't know.

And I realize that the standard line to use if you're trying to make clear your humility about your child's abilities is to say "Oh, he's like anyone else." I just don't happen to think that standard line is either true or useful.

There's my $.02...

So funny Kriston!!!!!!!!!!
I was thinking the EXACT same thing while reading the article.
I think they may just be a little GD or maybe they are minimizing on purpose to protect him.

Neato

I'm betting they're minimizing on purpose--perhaps with the "help" of the well-meaning but misguided reporter, who may be trying hard not to make the boy seem "scary" (sigh). It's hard to believe that they're still so firmly in denial that they honestly believe the boy is an ND kid when he's 10 and in college.

I think even Dottie and I would have to wake up and smell the coffee at that point, wouldn't we, Dottie?

thanks for the article. What I didn't get is why the college insisted on physical education as his second course. How was an 8 year old taking gym with 19 year olds? That sounds dangerous.

I don't know what I would say to a child like that, regarding abilities. I think they don't want to exhibit him like a circus act.

Nothing was mentioned about friends. I know there was a girl profiled near NYC a few years ago, graduating from college at 13 and they mentioned that she was into some martial arts and her friends were ones from her class, they shared that interest.

Ren

I took this to be a statement from the boy, himself. Isn't this what we tell our kids? That effort is what pays off? To Moshe, "his success" may mean earning his associates degree, which is certainly within reach of most kids. He may not be thinking of earning his associates degree at ten. I know that with my kids I downplay age differences and emphasize that effort leads to results. It sounds like this young man has internalized that message, so I really can't fault his parents...

I kind of see the brain as being compartmentalized. So, for example, my 8 year old is learning algebra and has strong views about certain philosophical ideas that would normally be way beyond his years. His chess teacher thinks he should start playing competitively (we don't know how he'll do, but we also don't really care as long as he enjoys it). Yet at the same time, he likes to goof around, watch cartoons, dig in the dirt, play soccer, and collect trading cards. So many ways, he *is* a typical, normal kid. This may be what the parents of the boy in LA were talking about?

Val