How can I identify whether or not my child or student is gifted?

In order to be able to identify whether an individual is gifted or not, one first needs to adhere to a current definition of giftedness and talent.

“Interestingly, contrary to popular belief, parents have been found in the research to be better at identifying gifted characteristics in their children than educators”

In order to be able to identify whether an individual is gifted or not, one first needs to adhere to a current definition of giftedness and talent. The definition for giftedness adhered to in this column is Gagné's Differentiated Model of Giftedness, this model is the one most recognised in Australian gifted policy and documentation. If you are unsure of how this model works and current definitions of giftedness, please read the column titled, “What does giftedness look like?”

Interestingly, contrary to popular belief, parents have been found in the research to be better at identifying gifted characteristics in their children than educators. There are several reasons for this outcome; one being that parents are aware of early milestones reached by their child, information that is not readily available to educators. Parents are also aware of interests and behaviours that may be hidden at school by the child in an effort to gain peer acceptance. Lastly, many educators hold outdated perceptions of giftedness due to lack of training in this area.

So, what type of cognitive characteristics should educators and parents be looking for? Firstly, if following the Gagne (DMGT) definition of giftedness, one needs to consider the domain of giftedness that you are trying to identify. If you are considering the intellectual domain, then typically these types of characteristics would be present: a superior ability to retain or recall information; an adeptness at making connections which others at first may not at first understand; a passion and intense focus for acquiring knowledge in area of interest; curiosity; an ability to focus on the heart of the problem and not get side-tracked by irrelevant information, and a period of time required to contemplate the problem before directly tackling it.

If you are considering characteristics associated with the creative domain they are generally as follows: flexibility in thinking, which includes an ability to think outside the box when tackling a problem; an acceptance of ambiguity; a need to try out new things; independence and unconventionality and off the wall humour. Characteristics generally related to the socio-affective domain on the other hand include: an advanced ability to read and understand social cues; an aptitude for understanding diverse perspective and feelings; an inborn intuition and a strong sense of empathy.

Finally, a description of characteristics linked to the sensorimotor, (physical), domain. This sporting domain is generally well accommodated in Australian schools: coordination, agility, speed, persistence, high energy level and motivation to succeed in sport of choice. The level expression of characteristics described for each of these four domains needs to be more than a strength, positioning the individual in the top 10%.

Whilst all the characteristics listed above have been described as positive behaviours, one needs to consider that they can be interpreted negatively by those that do not understand them. For example, think how the gifted characteristic of curiosity often demonstrated by asking several questions could be interpreted as inappropriate and disruptive in the classroom. Alternately, a gifted individual may become frustrated and bored by an unchallenging curriculum and act out. For instance, they could use their well-developed humour to make fun of others or become the class clown.

This column has very briefly outlined well known cognitive characteristics associated with gifted students, this is, of course, a complex matter and has only been very briefly outlined here. A gifted individual may not have all the characteristics described. A gifted individual also might be twice exceptional (2e) which means that they have a gift and a disability which makes it even harder for parents and educators to identify.

Dr Katrina Eddles-Hirsch