Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment How long have you been around? Early ID...

1. When did you first expected giftedness in your child?

I didn't. I knew she had a great memory, but that was it.

2. What milestones/traits (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, verbal skills, literacy skills, mathematical sills, social) really made you suspect giftedness?

Looking back, she grasped mathematical concepts at a very young age. She understood fractions as a preschooler (while baking). She could skip count before she could really talk.

3. Did your child have any delays? If so what area (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, verbal skills, literacy skills, mathematical sills, social)?

She was a late talker... about 3-3.5 before she could have conversations. Her gross motor skills were slow to develop. We found at a 4 that she was functionally blind in one eye and couldn't see well out of the other. With glasses, things improved quickly. Fine motor were super delayed as well. She did not read early, but that could be because the poor child couldn't see. Socially, she was VERY young and naive. Always seems younger than her peers.

4. Is your child 2E? If they are did they have other signs besides the obvious, more quantifiable ones?

Yes, she has ADHD. I think this, along with her visual problems, masked a lot of the signs of giftedness. The fact that she does as well in school as she does despite her ADHD should have tipped us off that something was up.

5. Has your child been tested?

Yes, just tested this spring.

6. Is your child across the board gifted or quite asynchronous? If so what are his/her strengths and were they obvious from a young age?

Across the board. Her memory is insane. I can't identify individual strengths, just whatever she chooses to do. If she is interested in what is being taught in math, then she excels. If not, she doesn't. It is like this in all subjects. Very frustrating.

7. When your child was young (baby/toddler/preschooler), was their development fairly even or did they excel more in certain areas (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, verbal skills, literacy skills, mathematical sills, social)?

She was slow to do everything... roll over, crawl, walk, talk, etc. When she did start talking, it all of a sudden came in paragraphs. Nothing really stands out as being an area of excelling. Again, just the insane memory.

Grin. I often joke that there are two kinds of GT parents -- those who are shocked to find out that their kids are gifted, and those who are shocked to find out that anyone could be shocked to find out that their kids are gifted (grin). I'm in the second category -- both DH and I are MIT graduates, so we would have been surprised / upset if our kids weren't smart. Creates a different set of within-family angst (since I just did a DYS parent seminar on family dynamics...).

Ha! I remember when dd was not quite 1.5, I was talking to some mom in the neighborhood about how tired I was of reading to dd -- I felt guilty about it, but it was driving me crazy. I didn't go into specifics, and I'm glad I didn't, because it wasn't until much later that I realized that other parents read, oh, 10-15 minutes a day, not the same book three times in a row X 10 books, or whatever ungodly thing she wanted at the time. It got way better when her comprehension and attention span went up and we were able to read more interesting books.

PS -- Sorry for hijacking/sidetracking the post, newmom...

1. When did you first expected giftedness in your child?
Age 6 after kindergarten testing. No adults Ided here (we are GT and have high scores late in life that would indicate that, but never really thought about it)


2. What milestones/traits (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, verbal skills, literacy skills, mathematical sills, social) really made you suspect giftedness?
NONE! ROFL - I really thought all kids were as verbal and intense as my kid. He understood fractions, multiplication, division before kindergarten as stand out items. Could do lego sets for ages 10 age age 4-5 independendly. Used the computer on his own from age 2.5

3. Did your child have any delays? If so what area (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, verbal skills, literacy skills, mathematical sills, social)?

No

4. Is your child 2E? If they are did they have other signs besides the obvious, more quantifiable ones?

No

5. Has your child been tested?
Not full scale GT testing. He has 4 test scores of varying types that point to the HG+ to PG range

6. Is your child across the board gifted or quite asynchronous? If so what are his/her strengths and were they obvious from a young age?
When he was younger I considered him quite asynchronous. At age 9, he is really quite across the board gifted. He was a preschooler who was very independent about what he wanted to do.

7. When your child was young (baby/toddler/preschooler), was their development fairly even or did they excel more in certain areas (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, verbal skills, literacy skills, mathematical sills, social)?
Hmmm ... to me he seemed like the had the normal boy development. But now I can see maybe he had more normal, high energy, HG+ boy development.


I think this is an interesting exercise. But I do think the parents that frequent this board are a unique subset of the gifted community. There are definitely kids out there that fall through the cracks and have parents who don't have the resources to do the kind of research and follow up that the parents on this board do. My own parents were definitely like that. Both my brother and I had quite miserable elementary school experiences that didn't serve us at all. And honestly, I never knew why until my own child was IDed.

That's a great story, Cricket. DD's tricky, too, but mostly in her use of logic. I remember my dad used to call me Machiavellian when I was little, and I think it was a complement of sorts. One part of your brain is saying "Good grief," and the other part is thinking "Brilliant!"

First, here are our answers to the first post. DS1 is 6 years, 1 month, and DS2 is 27 months old.

1. When did you first expected giftedness in your child?
DS1- Looking back, it was interesting that so many people commented on how intelligent he looked as a newborn, following people with his eyes, etc. I think I first realized at 12 months when we joined a playgroup with children all 9-16 months older. Within a few months, he was talking more than every single one of them and was the first to have his colors/numbers/letters/phonics memorized, the first to get 1-1 correspondence, and the first to be potty trained, read, etc.
His gross motor was fairly normal. He started crawling at 6 months and walking on his own right before his 1st birthday.

DS2- I intentionally tried not to look for it since DS1 sets a high bar as a big brother, but his became first became obvious when we accidentally discovered that he knew his full numbers/colors/etc at 18 months. He definitely does not get the same amount of 1-1 time and he doesn't watch tv, so he picked these up on his own very quickly. His is becoming more and more apparent because he's starting to read at 27 months and is extremely good with puzzles and is extraordinarily interested in how things work. He's also extremely athletic, to the point of amazement. He started crawling at 4-5 months and was fully walking before his 9th month. He can now throw a ball and play soccer easily with the older kids.

2. What milestones/traits (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, verbal skills, literacy skills, mathematical sills, social) really made you suspect giftedness? Oops, I guess I hit this above.
3. Did your child have any delays? If so what area (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, verbal skills, literacy skills, mathematical sills, social)?

DS1- His only delay was that he could not for the life of him figure out how to jump until he was almost 3! I actually took him to a "help me grow" consultant to make sure he didn't have a developmental issue! Haha! He also did some speech because he was such an early talker that he developed some habits with ks/gs.
DS2- I kept thinking he was "average" with speech because he wasn't as fluent as DS1, but every teacher I know tells me he's still well ahead of the curve, and DS1 was just phenominally ahead w/ early language development.
4. Is your child 2E? If they are did they have other signs besides the obvious, more quantifiable ones? No.
5. Has your child been tested?
DS1- yes. DS2- No, because he's only 2.
6. Is your child across the board gifted or quite asynchronous? If so what are his/her strengths and were they obvious from a young age?
DS1- Seems to be across the board gifted in terms of academics. We thought he was asynchronous towards language arts because he is such a great reader and loves to write, but in the past 6 months, he has jumped 3 grade levels in math and now claims that it is favorite subject. He has a wonderful gift for memorizing and spelling, too. He is on a normal curve for sports and fine arts, and we haven't tried formal music lessons yet.
DS2- Too soon to tell.
7. When your child was young (baby/toddler/preschooler), was their development fairly even or did they excel more in certain areas (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, verbal skills, literacy skills, mathematical sills, social)?
Both of mine have always been extremely social children who easily make friends and entertain people with their humor. DS1 is clearly visual and developed his verbal/literacy skills before his gross motor, but that is because he would rather play trains than run around the playground. DS2 developed gross motor first, but again, is starting to read at a very early age.

Clay, I get myself into trouble with friends all the time with specifics! With DS1, I assumed everyone knew how their alphabet/colors/numbers before they were 2, and probably gave many other 1st time mom friends heart attacks in the way I'd talk about it without realizing this wasn't normal.

I did it again today with a bunch of 3rd-4th grade homeschool friends. I thought I was being inclusive, talking about how great it is that homeschool blurs the lines so that our kids are learning even during the summertime without that designation between "school time" and "summer break." I used the example of how DS1 was playing "stump the stumper" with multiplication facts in the car with his friends on the way to camp, not realizing they fit in half an hour of math practice. Instead of nods and smiles, my comment got silence, followed by remarks about how their kids would never do that. Uh...ooops again.

1.) When he was born & he was already attentive & interactive. �I called it a "strong spiritual presence" which I equate with advanced intelligence but I've been told online that assumption is ridiculous others described it while he was still a baby by saying "he never was a baby."

2.) motor & social- always held up his own head from birth, clearly focused on whoever was talking in the delivery room. �By day 2 turned from stomach to back. �Within first week pushed up on crawl position & took a "step" or 2 with a hand or knee (I have pics!) but didn't stand 'till 5 months bracing himself, crawled at 7 months (think it would have been sooner if he hadn't got fat- too heavy to lift.). Looks like 10 months free-standing and toddling but mostly crawled because it was faster. �
At 7 mo. I did a 15 min. baby yoga routine on him 3x a week. �One week he didn't seem to like it. �A friend suggested I let him do it himself. �He did a few of the exercises properly and at the right time in the video. �He didn't do the correct # of reps. so he obviously couldn't count at 8.5 mos. .�
Looks like 9 mos. old he would put his thumbs together & walk his fingers for the itsy-bitsy spider which at the time I thought was advanced. Most things (like the "crawling" at 2 weeks) other pointed out to me as advanced, not me. �But I thought walking the spider at 9 months was advanced.

Verbal & Literacy- I don't think he's very verbal. �He communicates clearly but is not a chatterbox. �I didn't read books to my baby (weird, I know). �So he learned a few sight words from the tv guide channel. �I don't know how to explain great communication skills in my non-verbal kid. �
Journal entry 2 days before 2nd birthday- "U been playing video games on the iPhone for a while now. �I've finally let you play the Hooked on Phonics pre-k game on my expensive laptop with your slobbery teething fingers (touchpad mouse).
You've had this privilege for about a week, no more than 1 hr/day. �Within 3 days I no longer had to help you navigate between games. �Today, wow. �You blew my mind yet again. �Hippo said, "I have a fox in my cart. �Find the word that starts with the same sound "F-f-fox". �(You don't really talk yet. �You say a few words, you have a few phrases, you've made 2 sentences. �You're still in pampers. �Up till now I thought you were clicking random buttons.). You answered Hippo correctly, out loud. �"F-f-fork". I immediately turned around to watch you. �You moved past 3 wrong answers to point & click on the fork. �Then you clicked on the fish, then one more "f" word, I forgot what and it was 15 minutes ago. �Anyway you didn't click any of the wrong answers and you got all the right ones. �And you answered out-loud. �That wasn't coincidence.

3.) No, he's not delayed. �I thought he was recently because his verbal doesn't match his other skills to me, but friends and strangers say he talks fine and clear. �I thought his speech was regressing and I was worried about his hearing, but after everyone assured me his speech was fine and clear I decided he was sounding less clear to me because he was talking more and using more words (therefore making more mistakes and mispronunciations). �

4.). The mental illnesses that are in our family trees include dyslexia, ADD, bipolar, alcoholism, & Alzheimer's. �At two 3/4 none of these are apparent, but they are on my radar along with cancer & strokes when we're older, asthma, allergies, and the use of eyeglasses. �So far, so good.

5.) I'm told the school will test him in pre-k.

6.). Asynchronousity ? �Huh. �I think he seems to quickly learn anything I want to show him. �Since we're at home alone most of the time together I think it's reasonable his strengths are the things I've exposed him to, so that's not asynchronousity- that's exposure. �Every time we go visit others and come home he exhibits a new learned skill within a week. �So I don't know how he would be in a different environment. �I don't know if he's asynchronous. �(probably not, he's a Libra :)�
�
7.) I'd say he's consistent and a mellow fellow. �I think he's developing evenly as a whole little person. �Maybe that's just wishful thinking in my part because that's my goal in raising him. �

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I don't know if this will help your survey. �Sorry I didn't take better notes. �So far his life journal only has 6 pages in it.
Don't know if this will help your survey because my boy doesn't fit the "gifted profile" I see in the message boards. �I'm saying he's probably 99.9 & I haven't even researched identifying 3sd giftedness as much as I look for info on parenting such a kid because well, I just assume. �FWIW I used to consistently test 99.9. �But most people don't know because I'm goofy not nerdy. �The ones who notice usually say "I know you have a high i.q. because I have one too." -Busted. �

DD will be 4 next month.

1. When did you first expected giftedness in your child?

We weren't sure what we were seeing with DD. She was a very alert baby from birth and all the nurses kept commenting on it but being a first time parent I really had no idea that was a big deal. It wasn't until she was around 2 that I stumbled upon the idea of gifted and everything clicked.

2. What milestones/traits (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, verbal skills, literacy skills, mathematical sills, social) really made you suspect giftedness?

All of the above. Though her gross motor skills were average for crawling and walking she was ahead on seating up and rolling. Everything else you mention DD was way ahead on.

3. Did your child have any delays? If so what area (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, verbal skills, literacy skills, mathematical sills, social)?

No, except social. She was comfortable with adults and older kids but didn't really understand or care to interact with agemates. She saw them as babies.

4. Is your child 2E? If they are did they have other signs besides the obvious, more quantifiable ones?

Besides a mild case of SI which I wouldn't classify as a 2E because we haven't needed OT to correct it.

5. Has your child been tested?

No and we probably won't until she is around age 7, unless we hit a road block with the school she attends.

6. Is your child across the board gifted or quite asynchronous? If so what are his/her strengths and were they obvious from a young age?

Beyond EQ which I suspect is normal for most gifted kids to have some asynchronous; she is strong across the board. And her strengths were very obvious from a young age. Some examples:
verbal: said 'hi' at 2 weeks; 'elephant' right before 3 months; talked in complete 2-3 word sentences by 6 months; complicated sentences by 1 yr; understood proper tenses and pronouns from the start. Used adverbs and adjectives by 15 months (could have been a little earlier but can't remember.)
Math: was rote counting by 9 months and adding and subtracting by 2 yrs.
Others: knew all her abcs by 9 months and the sounds each one makes by 15 months; knew upper and lower case by 18 months; Knew body parts including more detailed such as eyebrows, cheeks, chin, elbow, etc by 4 months (she would point to them when asked). Was obsessed with books by 3 months and we would spend most of our time reading to her. Memorized books read to her once or twice and loved to recite them. Corrected me a few times when I attempted to recite a phrase from a book. Started to read right before turning 2, but didn't think she should because she knew other kids her age didn't (her observation) and refused to read. We left it alone but around 3 1/2 she came to me and decided she was ready and has no problem reading now.
Fine motor skills: fed herself with spoon by 6 months and was able to pinch and pick up food by 6 months; was drawing and writing some of the easier letters before a year. (IE. O, C, M, W, D)

7. When your child was young (baby/toddler/preschooler), was their development fairly even or did they excel more in certain areas (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, verbal skills, literacy skills, mathematical sills, social)?


DD excels with verbal. She is also learning 2 other languages but we haven't seen her native one slow down at all. Though she is strong in other areas her real strength is verbal.

Hijacking again! My apologies, but I just can't resist tangents sometimes...

Just wanted to note that this was one of the best things I got out of CTY: that intelligence comes in all sorts of packages! It was a feeling of validation that, "no, I'm not a hopeless nerd; no, smart people aren't all nerds; I'm just cool in a way you can't relate to." It was a very important thing to feel when I was 12... but it did make me feel extra miserable when I went back to school...

DD is 4.6

1. When did you first expected giftedness in your child?

By 18 months she had been consistently hitting milestone charts that were double her age and I started to think that was odd, so I looked in to giftedness and over time became more and more convinced. And she was (is!), so, so, so intense compared to other babies - could never just be left in a bouncer (oh how I wished for a baby that would happily sit, even for a few minutes... still don't have one of those... sigh!)

2. What milestones/traits (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, verbal skills, literacy skills, mathematical sills, social) really made you suspect giftedness?

DD sat at 4 months, skipped rolling, crawling or bumb shuffling and started walking with help at 7/8 months. Didn't really talk before 12 months, but was talking in short (4 -7 word) sentences by 18 month with a huge vocabularly, knew all her colours including light/dark variations by 18 months, all alphabet by 18 months, phonetically by 2, knew and loved pointing out that a letter was a letter and a number was a number before she was 2. reading basic words at 2.5, drawing very clear by 2.5. Reading sentence and very easy readers at 3, doing basic addition and subtraction etc. Proficiency with puzzles (60+ pieces from 2.9 with little help).


3. Did your child have any delays? If so what area (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, verbal skills, literacy skills, mathematical sills, social)?

Her reading came in fits and starts - she'd zoom ahead and then not read a thing for 6 months. She's on a roll again at the moment.

4. Is your child 2E? If they are did they have other signs besides the obvious, more quantifiable ones?

No

5. Has your child been tested?

Yes

6. Is your child across the board gifted or quite asynchronous? If so what are his/her strengths and were they obvious from a young age?

She tested higher in non-verbal than verbal, but apparently stopped cooperating on the final two subtests and so that dropped her scores on those two. However she achieved almost identical scores compared to the non-verbal equivalents in the earlier verbal subtests, and I would have said verbal ability is her strength, so I would say she's pretty even. Though more recently her math abilities are starting to become really apparent.

Fine motor is ahead, but not as far ahead as her capacity to think - a constant source of frustration for her.

7. When your child was young (baby/toddler/preschooler), was their development fairly even or did they excel more in certain areas (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, verbal skills, literacy skills, mathematical sills, social)?

Fairly even, though her verbal skills and literacy skills were apparent earlier to me than her mathematical skills - though that is probably because that is probably more as a result of what I enjoyed doing with her.

Thanks for this thread, it's an interesting read