The gifted child is not always easy to spot (unless he/she is in a corner doing college-level trigonometry). Your gifted child might be the quiet observer who watches their surroundings and absorbs information, the verbally precocious child who sits with the adults, or the distracted kid who is bored in class because the material isn’t challenging.  However, not all children who are gifted excel in an academic area — they may show superior artistic, leadership, or musical abilities relative to other kids their age.

Identification of a gifted child is a collaborative process among teachers, parents, and school psychologists and typically occurs when a child is school-aged. However, there are indicators of giftedness that parents may be able to observe prior to the start of school. Below are 5 signs that you may have a gifted child on your hands:

1. Your child reached verbal milestones earlier than their peers and swiftly developed a sophisticated vocabulary. However, gifted children may also reach verbal milestones later than their peers but experience a burst of verbal knowledge shortly after.

2. Gifted kids can express a preference for interacting with older children or adults. Often their verbal abilities exceed those of their peers and find it more engaging to speak with adults. Their interest in advanced topics also contributes to a propensity for adult conversations.

3. A gifted child may be exceptionally curious about a wide range of topics or express a desire to learn as much as possible about one specific topic. These are the children that often ask “why” to every statement (which can annoy parents or teachers because sometimes they don’t know the answers!). They may express a curiosity about their environment and be exceptionally aware of their surroundings.  

4. An ability to process complex information about abstract topics (like relationships among people or implications of decisions).

5. Gifted children may be especially sensitive and/or emotional. They may possess a keen sense of self-awareness and an ability to empathize that is more advanced than their peers.

Remember that these are only a few of the many indicators of giftedness in young children and identification of a gifted child involves a culmination of factors. Additionally, a thorough evaluation with a psychologist is necessary to identify a gifted child.