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Gifted and talented

Talk to other parents about parenting a gifted child on this forum.

Original poster

Is my 2yo gifted?

166 replies

MumofToddle · 01/10/2023 21:21

I’ll be upfront, I‘ve only created this thread because I suspect I’m right and I’m looking for validation 😂I also know how insufferable that is and that I deserve to be taken down a peg, so please do feel free to disabuse me of my notions if I deserve it.

I think my 2.5yo son might be verging on ‘gifted’ (as opposed to merely clever, which I know he is without needed confirmation from anyone else). Here are some of the things he can do:

  • complete verbal fluency - speaks in lengthy, complex sentences, for example ‘mummy, daddy said after we go swimming we are going to granny’s house because we need to borrow her car so you can go to London’. Has a good vocabulary - regularly and correctly uses words like ‘marvellous’, ‘surprising’, ‘mischievous’, ‘famished’.
  • very good recall - for example he has a reference book of animals and can tell you the scientific names for about 60 animals, having been told them once or twice on previous readings
  • can read simple words and some sentences. We didn’t teach him this so don’t know where it came from. For example today we drove past next and he said ‘N E X T, that says next’. He can read simple sentences in books he hasn’t seen before, such as ‘where is spot?’ (By sounding out the letters to work out the word)
  • Can write his own name unassisted and copy letters if I write them first (imperfectly but recognisably)
  • can name / discuss his feelings. Has basically never had a tantrum but will say ‘I’m disappointed because I don’t want to leave the park’.

What do you think - gifted, or just bright? It wouldn’t change anything either way as we don’t have any desire or intention to try and hot house him or interfere at all in his very relaxed, low pressure childhood, but I’m curious!

OP posts:
Wtafis · 01/10/2023 21:24

Sounds like my son at that age. He’s 7 now. Smart but not exceptional

Original poster
MumofToddle · 01/10/2023 21:27

I expect ‘smart but not exceptional’ is an easier ride than ‘gifted’ so no complaints here if that’s true of our boy too 😄

OP posts:
PleaseBePacific · 01/10/2023 21:28

My daughter was just like that too. Adult now, bright but not exceptional.

Original poster
MumofToddle · 01/10/2023 21:28

Love your username

OP posts:
sjj28358 · 01/10/2023 21:29

This sounds exactly like my friend's son was at that age. Incredibly clever with incredible focus and language. He's now 11, still exceptionally clever. He was diagnosed with ASD last year which was not a surprise to me.

Myneighboursarewankers · 01/10/2023 21:29

My niece was like this especially with reading. She could read full books at the age of 3 but it turns out it was an early sign of autism which she has now been diagnosed with

WanderingWitches · 01/10/2023 21:30

Sounds like my eldest son
He ended up getting diagnosed with ASD.

Cephalaria · 01/10/2023 21:30

My youngest was exactly the same. He turned out to be very bright but not "gifted". Did well at school and university and is now a bright young 25 year old in a decent career but no genius.

cryinglaughing · 01/10/2023 21:30

Like my dd when she was younger, diagnosed with ASD at 14.

bossybloss · 01/10/2023 21:31

I think he is gifted… very similar to my ( Oxbridge educated) DS .

Enjoy! It’s exciting xxxxx

BotherThat · 01/10/2023 21:31

Sounds gifted to me, but then my 2 year old spent most of the day licking jenga blocks and picking her nose, so…

Alloveragain3 · 01/10/2023 21:32

He sounds incredibly smart and mature for his age!

TheShellBeach · 01/10/2023 21:32

I'm also getting autism vibes.
(I'm autistic and so are three of my four children).

gerrithedom · 01/10/2023 21:32

Phyllis??

Original poster
MumofToddle · 01/10/2023 21:32

I have wondered about neurodivergence (wouldn’t be surprising because I have ADHD). I don’t think autism is particularly likely because he doesn’t show any other symptoms but of course he is too young for diagnosis so not really possible to be definitive.

OP posts:
Hellocatshome · 01/10/2023 21:32

Sounds like my DB who was diagnosed as ASD as an adult as he was an 80s child. How are his social skills? How does he interact with peers? My DB whilst very intelligent is not an easy man to get along with.

Ohthatsabitshit · 01/10/2023 21:34

He’s not too young for dx but he could just be bright. My children were very similar I think it’s just brainy not gifted but gifted to me is a much higher bar.

bassheavyhev · 01/10/2023 21:35

Sounds very bright to me!

CompaniesHouse · 01/10/2023 21:35

Possibly! My DC was exactly the same and is now still pretty smart but not astonishingly so. As they get older, a range of different types of knowledge/skills come into play - the ones you mention in your DS aren’t necessarily a precursor for the range of others as they develop. I don’t think it means ASD either though. My DC isn’t autistic, just was particularly good with communication, language, and memory for stuff when younger. Your Ds sounds great and you sound like you’re enjoying him a lot, which is lovely!

Tiredalwaystired · 01/10/2023 21:36

I’d say bright for sure. Gifted, not especially.

itsmyp4rty · 01/10/2023 21:36

Reading that early is called hyperlexia and can be a sign of autism. I reckon he's going to be very smart. DS has ASD and just got mostly 9's in his GCSE's - and he wasn't anywhere near as smart as that at 2 from what I could tell at the time. He has that same great memory as yours though which is excellent for exams! I think it's unusual for a child with ASD to have such understanding of their feelings though - but I might be wrong. Mine still struggles now to recognise and understand what he feels.

surreygirl1987 · 01/10/2023 21:37

To be fair, that is amazing. Early reading is a sign of autistsm but isn't always. Your child does sound exceptional. Exceptional children often have 'spiky' profiles though (my 4 year old is insanely good at maths but struggles in other areas and has an ASD assessment upcoming) so worth keeping an eye out.

NuffSaidSam · 01/10/2023 21:37

It's just too young to tell.

He's clearly advanced, as in most 2.5 year olds are not at that level. But of course, the vast majority four year olds are so it's impossible to say whether he's just an early developer or is gifted/ND.

As you can see from the other responses it's can go either way. Maybe his development slows and his peers catch up or he stays far ahead of the pack with a brain that works differently to what we consider 'normal'.

The best thing at this point is to not dwell on either option and just parent the child you have in front of you.

Original poster
MumofToddle · 01/10/2023 21:37

He is extremely calm and easy going. Flexible about changing plans etc. Loves playing with other children. No worse than any 2yo about sharing / taking turns etc. Some clear areas of interest but nothing I would say particularly qualifies as a ‘special interest’. No stims etc.

The main reason I don’t think autism is because he is so chilled out. I don’t think he’s ever had a tantrum (aside from the odd expression of frustration) and he doesn’t struggle with transitions etc. He has a very similar nature to my very calm and easy going husband (who is neurotypical).

OP posts:
NCJD · 01/10/2023 21:38

He sounds fantastic! DS1 (very bright but not gifted as far as I can tell) could do a fair amount of those things at 2.5 (long complex sentences, recall and naming emotions) but the reading and writing is next level at that age I’d say. I don’t know any 2 yo who can do that. It doesn’t really matter either way at the moment wether he is really bloody bright or ‘gifted’ (and all the stuff that label comes with…). Just keep noting all the cool stuff he can do down in case it matters in the future and enjoy him!