Supporting Your Gifted Child BY MARY BETH RITCHIE, LCSW PHOTO BY KLEINPETER PHOTOGRAPHY 2024–25 COVER KID LUKE R. M any people don’t realize that parenting an intellectually gifted child is truly parenting a child with special needs. These needs are found- ed in strengths, but they do require special attention and extra resources. Parenting a child with special needs, of any variety, requires extra time, money, and energy. You may be wondering whether your child is gifted. Generally, a child who has an I.Q. of 130 or more is considered intellec- tually gifted. The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) defines giftedness as children who have ability significantly above the norm for their age in one or more domains, including: intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership, or in a specific academ- ic field such as language arts, mathematics, or science. Giftedness exists in all demo- graphic groups and personality types. According to the most recent report from 2022–2023 by the National Association for Gifted Children (nagc.org), Louisiana had identified 27,813 gifted students out of a total population of 634,424. The state man- dates identification for gifted and talented students. The website for the Association for Gifted & Talented Students in Louisiana is agtslouisiana.org/index.php. I’ll share common signs, and tips for ad- dressing them. It’s important to remember that each child is unique and may not dis- play all of these traits. Giftedness is often hereditary. The gifted child will frequently score within 10 points of a parent. There are many formal assessments to determine whether a child is gifted, and it’s helpful to identify children early. However, testing is usually not recommended before age five. TRAITS OF GIFTED CHILDREN 1. Gifted children often command a large vocabulary. They will frequently prefer
adult conversation to those with their peers. It is important to encourage your gifted child to engage with same-age peers. Not doing so can lead to a sense of isolation. 2. Intellectually gifted children often display strong feelings and can be very opinionated. Because they are also often very self-aware, they may recognize that they are different. This may lead them to feel left out. Many become introverted. It may be helpful to consider a school for gifted children where the student will be surrounded by others who are similar. 3. Young gifted children may become bored easily. They learn by being exposed to new stimuli. At home, you may find that the gifted child loses interest in new toys quickly. Be prepared to expand your toy budget. 4. Gifted children frequently focus in- tensely on one specific interest. One of my sons wanted to learn everything about dinosaurs. At age six or seven, he un- doubtedly knew more about dinosaurs than the average adult. I’ve also taught some gifted children. One of these children was fanatical about trains. Everything he drew or wrote about dealt with trains. This was one of the signs I recognized in him when I requested that he be tested. 5. Gifted children are able to teach them- selves and can remember things easily. Some may be reading and writing before they ever attend school. In my third grade classroom, I can sometimes spot these chil- dren because they are often able to solve a
new type of math problem by using logic and reasoning. 6. These children may have an original way of expressing themselves. You may find that they are able to write extremely well. Their stories may be very complex and well developed. I’ve witnessed this in my classroom. At times, some of my jokes will go right over my third graders’ heads. However, there will be one or two children cracking up. These are often the gifted children. Gifted children may also be highly sensitive with intense feelings. 8. Gifted students frequently 7. Gifted children often exhibit an advanced sense of humor. prefer to work alone, rather than in groups. This may be due to their unique methods of approaching their work or a feeling of social awkwardness. 9. All children seem to ask a lot of questions. However, the gifted child will ask even more! The questions may be very deep and detailed as these chil- dren try to satisfy their thirst for knowl- edge. At times, this can be challenging for parents and teachers. It’s important to be patient, as we don’t want to squelch their curiosity. 10. A parent or teacher may notice that a gifted child learns more quickly. It is estimated that most children need 8–15 repetitions in order to learn something new. Gifted children frequently need only one or two.
34 SEPTEMBER 2025 | BRPARENTS.COM
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