What is the common misdiagnosis of gifted children?

The most common mis-diagnoses are: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (OD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Mood Disorders such as Cyclothymic Disorder, Dysthymic Disorder, Depression, and Bi-Polar Disorder.

What is the misdiagnosis of the gifted?

Some of our brightest, most creative children and adults are misdiagnosed as having behavioral or emotional disorders such as ADD/ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or Asperger's Disorder. Many of them are receiving unneeded medications and/or inappropriate counseling.

Which personality disorder is the most common in gifted children?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Traits such as intensity, impatience, sensitivity, and high energy are common in children with ADHD , as well as in gifted children. Some gifted children do have ADHD, but many do not. They are at a different developmental level than other children.

Can gifted children be misdiagnosed as autistic?

It's also easy to misdiagnose gifted kids as being on the autism spectrum. There's that intensity in interests.

How do I know if my child is gifted or autistic?

Once you dive deeper, you can see there are some important differences. For example, a gifted child may present an extensive and advanced vocabulary with a rich verbal style. A child on the autism spectrum may have an advanced use of vocabulary, but they may not have full comprehension of the language they use.

The Misdiagnosis of Gifted Children

Are gifted kids just Neurodivergent?

Gifted children may display neurodivergent traits without being neurodivergent, but because missing a diagnosis carries risks, parents and educators should err on the side of caution and be willing to assess gifted children.

What does ADHD look like in a gifted child?

Gifted children often are asked “If you're so good at doing that, why can't you do this?” Gifted children with ADHD often show heightened intensity and sensitivity, but they are set up to fail in a system that only recognizes and expects intellectual proclivity without consideration of their emotional needs.

At what age does giftedness appear?

In one study, 35% of the parents recognized their child's giftedness between ages three and five. The other 65% were either informed or recognized their child's giftedness after age six (Dembinski & Mauser, 1978).

How does giftedness mask ADHD?

The giftedness may be so strong that the child performs well, masking the difficulty created by the ADHD. Conversely, the attention disorder may be so strong that the child underperforms, masking their giftedness.

How rare is a highly gifted child?

Only 2 to 5 percent of kids fit the bill, by various estimates. Of those, only one in 100 is considered highly gifted. Prodigies (those wunderkinds who read at 2 and go to college at 10) are rarer still -- like one to two in a million.

Are a lot of gifted kids autistic?

About 70% of autistic people have an intellectual disability, which means they have an IQ lower than 70. The remaining 30% have intelligence that ranges from average to gifted. Autism and intelligence are two separate characteristics. A person can be autistic with any level of intelligence.

What are three traits that may suggest that a child is gifted?

Common Characteristics of Gifted Children:

Ability to comprehend material several grade levels above their age peers. Surprising emotional depth and sensitivity at a young age. Strong sense of curiosity. Enthusiastic about unique interests and topics.

What is the curse of the gifted child?

These children usually have the innate ability to comprehend lessons and apply themselves in studies, along with being able to get to get away with spending a minimum amount of their time studying. That is where the biggest curse of being gifted comes in – the inability to develop proper study habits.

Are gifted kids more likely to have ADHD?

In fact, about 50% of gifted children also have ADHD which adds complexity and additional challenges. When both are present in a child, they are considered to be 'twice-exceptional. ' Self-esteem and self-efficacy are other areas of functioning that are impacted in individuals with ADHD.

What is the trauma of the gifted child about?

This “rare and compelling” (New York Magazine) bestseller examines childhood trauma and the enduring effects it has on an individual's management of repressed anger and pain. Why are many of the most successful people plagued by feelings of emptiness and alienation?

Are gifted kids usually on the spectrum?

Both giftedness and autism fall on a spectrum, so while there may be individuals who clearly fit into one box or another, some behaviors might be more ambiguous and require additional information, context, or professional opinions.

Do gifted kids have behavioral issues?

Gifted children often set very high standards for themselves and get frustrated when they can't meet them. This can sometimes result in tantrums and other difficult behaviour.

How do you spot giftedness?

How are gifted children diagnosed?

The quantitative measures can include intelligence testing, which evaluates a child's cognitive abilities, and achievement testing, which evaluates a child's knowledge. Comparing the results of both tests may reveal discrepancies between a child's ability and current level of performance.

What is the difference between a gifted child and an exceptional child?

Exceptional students include children who are gifted and children who have disabilities. Children who are considered gifted are those children with superior intellectual development and who are capable of high performance.

What is the difference between intellectually gifted and academically gifted?

Intellectual giftedness - students demonstrate the ability to excel in cognitive activities like abstract thinking and logical reasoning. Teachers can help students apply their abilities to real-world problems. Academic giftedness - the passion or talent of a student is focused on a specific ability.

Can giftedness mask autism?

The brains of intelligent children may function similarly to those of autistic children. But the difference may be that there are more connections in distant regions of their brains, thus masking potential disability. There is less overloading for them and less chance of being dysfunctional.

What is the difference between Aspergers and gifted?

They are able to display a high degree of con- centration and an ability to focus for long periods of time (VanTassel-Baska, 1998). The difference is that the gifted child may be more selective and able to filter out and discard certain sources of information whereas the child with Asperger's will not (Cash).

Why are so many gifted kids neurodivergent?

Essentially, giftedness is a neurodiversity with a social-emotional and learning difference. It is highly genetic, meaning that while early experiences are influential, gifted people are essentially just born the way they are. They didn't ask to be born this way.