Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Pre-school gifted identification of a 15 month old

My husband and I were both labeled gifted in high school. I went on to earn a PhD, and he ended up becoming a classical guitarist. We are familiar with IQ tests and the gifted label, but only in people of school age.

We are fairly certain that our fifteen month old is gifted. He knows and can clearly pronounce more than 100 words, can identify in other words six letters of the alphabet, can count to three, and can identify by sight at least two numbers. He asks to read all the time, has a very long attention span, especially at musical performances, has spoken his first sentence ("I see a deer"), tells me when he needs to go to the bathroom (he is still in diapers, though). He can transfer knowledge from objects on a page to ones in real life (ex.he sees a picture of a zebra in a book and can correctly point out and say "zebra" at the zoo). And the list goes on and on.

Are there tests or other types of evaluative tools that we could use to more accurately determine if he is gifted? It matters a great deal to me in particular because I want to make sure that he gets enough enrichment and that I can help him with his emotional needs, which were overlooked in me, unfortunately.

Any help at all on this issue will greatly be appreciated.

Smurlene

Hello! My son is almost three, and I know what you mean when you say you want to help your son with the areas that were overlooked in your own childhood. I started looking for information on giftedness about a year ago, and found www.hoagiesgifted.org and then Deborah Ruf's 5 Levels of Giftedness to be very helpful. SENG is an organization dedicated to "supporting the emotional needs of the gifted" www.sengifted.org so you might want to check that out too. This forum is also a great place for ideas and resources. I read the preschool section from oldest to newest when I first found this place, and that was probably more educational than any book I could have bought.

As for "enough enrichment," I'd just follow his lead and go as deep into his favorite subjects as he wants to. Also, keeping safety in mind of course, you might not want to pay too close attention to the age limits on toys, but just find things you think he'd enjoy. This link gives a good general overview of some signs of early giftedness (a milestone comparison chart) and some ideas for enrichment.

There are no such tools. He's way too young for you to be concerned with such things. You don't need assessment results to buy books and toys for him, do you? Just do whatever occurs to you to stimulate his interest.

The list of the world's geniuses who didn't have academic supports in place at one year old is a quite long one. Relax.

I don't think you really need to test them at that age, or worry about enrichment... just follow their lead.

My DD(now 9) didn't say a word until 24 months but at 16 months knew the entire alphabet (you could ask for a letter and she'd point to it). This was because she was chasing me with books from 9-10 months on. I never "enriched" her - she enriched me, lol. Her comprehended vocab was insane. You ask her anything and she'd point to it.

I never enriched her. She came after me. Asking with her eyes - that intense, relentless stare. Books, objects, you name it - she'd point and look expectantly at me until I gave her a label for whatever she was pointing at. On and on and on. (I used to hide in the bathroom sometimes and say "go see Daddy for a minute!!") Not even kidding.

Anyway, just sit with your son, watch him, and let him ask you what he wants to learn. And have fun

One thing about being aware early of just what trajectory the kid is on is if you want to plan for life accomodations to adapt to his needs. Like moving to an area with great gifted programs (and highly gifted programs,) or getting into a situation where home schooling is feasible. Or even researching a pre-school context that won't stifle.

I found the Ruf Estimates to be interesting for at least a thumbnail sketch:
http://www.talentigniter.com/ruf-estimates

That's more what I was thinking of, Zen. I want to be as prepared as possible for his future. OUr plan at this point is to send him to the private school in our neighborhood. I have been reading about the Ruf Estimates. Thanks for posting the link.

And thanks, Somerdai and Luconu. That's what I have been doing all along. He surprises me at every turn with his interests and knowledge. I just don't want to miss an opportunity to help him.

Good point, Zen Scanner. I just think that while it's fun to wonder, there is no accurate assessment possible at that age. I don't think that such early milestones warrant moving anywhere, etc. because they're so inaccurate as an assessment tool (and I think the Ruf Estimates are hokum). But of course identification in the early years is an ongoing process, and you have to use the best info you've got at every stage, which early on will just tend to be on the less precise side.

In the OP's case, I'd say that there's a good chance, though no certainty, that her little one is gifted to some degree based on genetics and the early milestones. Just how gifted is simply impossible to know. She can't get early access to services based on her hunch or the TalentIgniter website. Moving to an area now specifically to get access to an HG+ program or school would be silly, since not only does she not know that her child is HG+, the program or school might be a poor fit for other reasons. Homeschooling can be done anywhere, but it's too early and unnecessary to plan to homeschool at this age as well.

Ditto to everything lucounu mentioned. I'll also add that moving for a program that's a great program *now*, even if your child will eventually qualify for it - doesn't guarantee it will be a great program 2-3 years from now. We've seen school programs in our district change quite a bit simply from principals moving around or from ideology changing or from budget cuts.

I truly believe that the best way we can support our children when they are very young (whether they are PG or MG or not gifted at all) is to follow their lead - explore their interests, take them on hikes, spend time with them playing whatever they want to play, take them to museums, talk to them, read to them, just be with them. Enjoy them!!!

Best wishes,

polarbear

See if you have a Music Together class in your area. It was fun for our family at that age.

I've been here since my daughter was 4 months old *blushes*
I know it is kind of silly, but at the check-up they said she was one of the most advanced 4 month olds they'd ever seen. My daughter was similar at 16 months with the letters, etc.(she's now only 21 months) Instead of speaking, though, she went nuts with sign language and learned all the signs on the 30 signing dvds we bought her. We didn't have any more signs after that. She's just now starting to try to use her words, instead of just signs.

Anyway, I get why you are thinking about this. I have learning activities for my lo, and she loves working on them. I look at the skills she's currently working on and then I provide specific activities that she can do - but that actually challenge her in that area. It's really rewarding when she asks for them over and over and I see her slowly master them. You might look into Montessori-inspired activities if you want to do things at home.

Oh, and don't worry about labeling him yet. You know he's advanced... just meet him where he's at. Just give lots and lots of love and empathy. When he throws a puzzle piece at you because his fine motor skills aren't up to where his mind is, give him a hug and help him achieve his goal. You can understand and empathize with that frustration.