‘My Child Is A Genius’: The Truth About Giftedness

By Dilnavaz Bamboat

So let’s see – your child is beautiful, of course. As cute as a button. Bright, happy, occasionally prone to the odd dark mood or tantrum – but otherwise, s/he’s pure genius!

How do you know? Who else would? You are the parent of this brilliant little personality! Right?

Take a deep breath….

We all love to believe that our child is special. And yes, each child is certainly unique. But some of us are absolutely convinced that underneath the puppy fat lurks a latent Einstein and there’s no changing our mind.

We need to have some objectivity here. Exceptionally gifted children are:

1. Those who score extremely high on individually and professionally administered IQ tests (usually above 140 + on the WISC-R or Stanford-Binet Fourth Edition).

2. Child prodigies in areas such as mathematics, music or chess, where the child’s abilities far exceed his or her age.

3. Children with extremely highly developed talents in unusual areas (e.g. being given a date and instantly responding with what day of the week that is).

Gifted Children: Sobering Statistics

According to John D. Wasserman, author of ‘Intellectual Assessment of Exceptionally and Profoundly Gifted Children’, of the estimated three million intellectually gifted children in the United States, there are probably no more than a few thousand who are exceptionally and profoundly gifted.

The average educator will probably never come across one such child in their teaching career. However, the media will occasionally carry news about a child who can label objects at nine months, recite the alphabet at eighteen months, read more than just children’s books at three years and graduate from high school by ten.

The upshot, of course, is that your child may not quite be an early prodigy. Still, there is plenty you can do to encourage them to develop into a mentally healthy, emotionally-adjusted citizen of the world.

As an educator, I am often besieged by requests from parents asking about specific activities that would hone their child’s talents into an edge over their peers. With the proliferation of activity options to suit every interest, talent and pocket, children and their parents are now spoiled for choice like never before.

From origami to pottery to music, horse-riding, yoga and puppetry, you can take your pick and help your child dabble in his own version of sportsmanship or artistry.

Our intentions are, of course, entirely honorable – and while it is sensible to encourage interests and talent, it is also helpful to understand the difference between being bright and being brilliant.

It’s Okay To Be Normal

Without intending to demoralize you or your child, do ensure that you do not push your child beyond their interest or ability. Brilliance, like everything else, comes at a price – one your child may end up paying for your ambitions.

A good place to start would be to provide a wide range of activity options, both academic and non-academic, physical as well as cerebral. This will help you locate your child’s individual area of interest and talent – of which every child has at least one. If this coincides with what s/he enjoys doing, you are already ahead of the game.

Swept away by initial enthusiasm? Doing all you can to support your little one’s interest or talent with all possible resources? Well, here’s a deflating thought – your child may lose interest and move on to something more engaging. Most children do not zero in on a talent at the first shot – they want to explore and experiment.

All parents love to believe that their child is special

Parent Or Talent Scout?

Once you are fairly sure that your baby has potential in a particular area, (wait until at least age 6 to be certain), seek professional support. While we may be seduced by blind parental love and bias, an expert can provide a more objective view on a child’s scope for brilliance in a particular arena.

If your child’s interests and talents do not converge, allow him or her to pursue what s/he enjoys doing. Do NOT force-channelize his or her energies into avenues you believe are better.

If you see potential in an area your child is resistant to, a gentle nudge in that appropriate direction works better than dragging your child to that Kumon maths class because ‘she doesn’t know what’s best for her’ while you do. Sure, you’ll have a child who can calculate in the blink of an eye, but also a resentful one.

A final thought – the American Association for Gifted Children aims to foster a better understanding of the needs and capabilities of gifted children. Even though there are far more children in the world off the gifted spectrum than on it, this goal is relevant to all parents.

We must understand how best to support our children – regardless of whether they are globally acknowledged as ‘gifted’, or are simply special little rays of alternate sunshine that bring so much joy into our personal world.

© Dilnavaz Bamboat

Dilnavaz Bamboat has worked as a mental health therapist and clinical supervisor in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, U.S.A. She is currently Vice-Principal at a reputed preschool in South Mumbai.

This article may be reproduced with the complete author bio and a live link back to http://www.lovingyourchild.com

Additional resources:

How To Develop Your Child’s Genius – An information packed package including ebooks and recordings about activities parents can do with their child to increase their intelligence.
Early Loving Early Learning: Loving Ways to Make Your Baby Smarter – Learn amazing secrets about early nurturing that will have lifelong benefits to your baby’s development – without feeling overcome by guilt and stress or having to create a whole new lifestyle.
Make Your Baby Smarter Before Birth In Only 13 Minutes/Day – 7 medical studies prove you can communicate and teach your baby before birth. It’s not only possible to improve your baby’s intelligence before it’s born – but you can help your baby improve in other areas as well. Pre-natal stimulation results in higher IQ, increased learning capability, and advanced motor skills. Find out what to do, how & when to do it in this groundbreaking program.