For some parents, experiencing unusual intelligence in their infant is a reality.

Experts say, a gifted child is one whose intellectual ability is significantly advanced. A gifted child generally possesses knowledge and shows ability far beyond that of other children of his age group.

A gifted child usually does everything earlier than his peer group, faster than his peer group and in a way that is significantly different from his peer group!

How Can You Tell if Your Child is Gifted?

Gifted Children can be categorized according to their intellectual ability. And while moderately gifted children are common, only 3 out of 100,000 children fall in the exceptionally gifted / profoundly gifted categories.

Here’s a chart for reference;

Giftedness IQ score

• Moderately gifted/ Gifted 130 to 138
• Highly Gifted (HG) 138 to 145
• Exceptionally gifted 145 to 152
• Profoundly Gifted 152 to 160

Identifying giftedness can be tricky, particularly regarding those who test right around that “magic” cutoff point of 130 or so. And IQ tests are certainly imperfect instruments and only one piece of the puzzle. Your insight and instincts, along with those of your child’s teachers, can often be the most important pieces needed to truly understand your child’s unique gifts and potential.

This organization for the Gifted and Talented in the US offers this checklist of *30 characteristics of gifted children. Included on the list are questions such as:

1. Did your child walk and talk earlier than most other children of his age and gender?
2. Did she show a comparatively early interest in words?
3. Does he have an exceptionally large vocabulary for his age?
4. Did she show an early interest in clocks, calendars, jigsaw puzzles?
5. Did he show an early interest in numbers?
6. Did she show an early interest in reading?
7. Does he express curiosity about many things?

Also an exceptionally gifted child tends to possess the following attributes;

• Heightened alertness and awareness of surroundings.
• High grasping power.
• Rapid learner.
• Very retentive memory.
• Very, very curious – has innumerable questions.
• Loves solving puzzles, number problems.
• Has an extensive vocabulary and is always improving on it.
• Voracious reader.
• Heightened self -awareness.
• Intense concentration in areas of interest.
• Abstract thinking.
• Vivid imagination.
• Highly sensitive with intense, passionate reactions.
• Sense of right, wrong, injustice from young.
• Daydreamer – absorbed in own thoughts.
• Impatience with failure.
• Wants to do things differently. (Divergent thinking)
• Loves experimenting and exploring.
• Wants to take control of situations and people and organise play/ activities.
• Can understand humour and participate in it from young.

If parents feel the need to have their child’s IQ tested then they have to go through an educational psychologist. Worldwide the norm is to have children assessed between the ages of 5 and 9. It is considered futile to assess a child younger than 5 years of age for giftedness.