Anyway, do typical kids not understand death as permanent at 3?
My DS was 3.5 when our cat died. He has not tested as gifted, and in fact is somewhat delayed in social/emotional skills, and though he does not have a clear diagnosis. He clearly had no idea why everyone was sad or what was going on. When we buried her, and my DD (then 7) was bawling her eyes out, he skipped up, looked at her body, said, "Have a nice nap, kitty!" and skipped off. This definitely made it all the tougher on DD, who was distraught and didn't get over it for at least a year.
