The first sign of giftedness is early pattern recognition: the ability to sort by categories without being explicitly taught (letters, numbers, colors, animals, etc.). As children move into preschool age, look for an extension of this ability into more sophisticated language and mathematical skills. Early reading can be a sign, but the saying goes, "Most gifted children were early readers, but not all early readers are gifted." Once your child begins school, their grades and assessment results should guide educational placement. Never shut the door on potential services. This is particularly important for students who have multiple exceptionalities. Individuals can be gifted and have diagnosis that affects learning, such as ADHD or a specific learning disability. (My PhD is in the educational psychology of gifted children, I can answer any of these questions fairly quickly.)
Clinical Insight: Dr. Nir Baharav on How to Support Gifted Children without Causing Pressure or Burnout (25-Year OCD/Anxiety Specialist) Hi Brighterly, I am Dr. Nir Baharav, and I have spent over two decades helping thousands of patients permanently eliminate OCD and trauma. I hold an honors degree from Concordia University and a Doctorate from the American Institute of Hypnotherapy. As an American Board of Hypnotherapy-certified expert, I offer a unique perspective on how to support gifted children without causing pressure or burnout: While working with gifted children, I've noticed that the gift label can create a false sense of security in children as well as a false expectation that they always perform perfectly. For this reason, I often see gifted children develop an expectation of themselves based on producing "perfect" or "error-free" work or performances. I call this an "anxiety loop" because their self-worth becomes directly attached to whether or not they produce something that has no errors. Many of the gifted students I have worked with display obsessive-compulsive type behavior; in other words, many of them feel compelled to strive for perfection in every aspect of their lives and therefore are hyper-vigilant and ultimately experience burnout. In developing gifted children, parents should develop an environment in which their child's talents are recognized and valued, while avoiding the added pressure of obsessive-compulsive thinking about mistakes. One way to accomplish this is to use specific techniques designed to separate a child's identity from his/her academic accomplishments. If a child is able to pursue excellence from a position of calmness rather than fear of making a mistake, then the underlying anxiety associated with "always having to be the best" will allow your child to obtain the long-lasting benefits of true emotional resiliency and intellectual freedom. I hope these insights are helpful for your piece! If you need further clarification or a quick quote, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Being gifted doesn't mean a kid is always well-behaved or socially smooth. I've had students who were way ahead academically but couldn't handle frustration or connect with peers. Things improved when we stopped looking at just the grades and focused on the actual person. You really need a wide perspective and frequent talks with teachers, otherwise you miss the full picture of what the child is going through. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to my personal email
I have been an elemetnary school teacher for 23 years (15 in 5th grade) and am a National Board Certified Teacher. 2) One of the biggest myths about gifted children is that they are good at everything. Gifted children, like all children, have strengths and weaknesses that need to be nurtured. One area where I see many gifted students struggle is organization and time management. Sometimes, attending to those areas gets overlooked because they are intelligent, but it can greatly impact academics the closer they get to middle school. Supporting a gifted child's ability to stay on task, take responsiblity for completing assignments, and follow directions gives them the tools to make a greater impact with their talents.
The best way to support a gifted child without pushing them into burnout is to intentionally praise their curiosity rather than their output. It's incredibly easy for adults to fall into the trap of rewarding the 'A+' or the fast result, but gifted kids usually already put immense, quiet pressure on themselves to be perfect. Instead, celebrate their weird, deep-dive interests and the messy, imperfect process of learning. Ensure their schedule isn't just a relentless treadmill of advanced classes; they desperately need unstructured, entirely unproductive downtime to let their brains rest. Most importantly, remind them often that their worth isn't tied to their intelligence—they are loved simply for who they are.
People assume gifted kids excel at everything, but that hasn't been my experience teaching residents. I have seen students who are years ahead in science yet struggle to write a clear sentence. Instead of demanding perfection in every subject, it works better to just encourage what they actually care about. In my view, intense curiosity or unique problem solving usually signals giftedness much more reliably than straight A's. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to my personal email
The biggest myth about gifted kids is that they will always get great grades and be easy to teach. In reality, many gifted children are underperformers in traditional classrooms because they are bored, frustrated, or have learned to coast without developing real study habits. Parents often mistake a gifted child's behavioral issues or emotional intensity for problems when those are actually signs of a mind that is not being challenged enough. The kid who asks endless why questions, argues with authority, or melts down over things that seem minor may not be difficult, they may be gifted and under-stimulated. Parents can support these kids best by focusing on curiosity rather than achievement and letting them go deep on topics they care about instead of pushing them to perform across every subject equally.