How do I know if my child is gifted?

[uhohgruffalo]

My DS has been speaking since about 10 mos. He is 23 mos old and he is now speaking in four- to five-word sentences, all the time. He can sing many songs, knows all the words. He tells jokes. He is memorizing Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss.

I don't advertise this stuff to friends, and I've generally downplayed his abilities, believing that children develop first in those areas that interest them, and with DS it just happens to be language.

But I have started to get CONSTANT amazed comments from friends, family, neighbours, play group facilitators, strangers in lifts (!)... So now I'm starting to wonder if maybe he IS a bit gifted. And, if so, how should I handle it? Do I continue to downplay it, so he feels "normal"? Or is that harmful? Or is it even too early to know if he is gifted?? What do I do???

Just have lots of fun with him and play with him and follow his interests and tell him he's a fabster.

If he comes with a bow and wrapping paper.

My dd was a freakishy early talker - as I've said before, she was a local celebrity for a while. She was in the paper and on telly talking about the opening of a new swimming pool - all sorts of stuff. Huge fun, it was. But all the others soon caught up, and she is now a moderately clever but by no means exceptional 12 year old. Enjoy him, talk to him tons, read to him and listen to him. You don't have to do anything else. If he is gifted in other areas it will emerge - but you can't know yet.

He will finish the cryptic crossword on the back of the Telegraph for you!

Just revel in it! Like seeker said, the other chd often catch up soon. My ds is a great conversationalist and has been since very early, but now his friends are doing the same and my PFB is not quite so special!!

My DD1 was like this talking in 2 word sentences at 10 months and in fully comprehensible sentences by 18 months. It was lovely in that I never experienced the terrible twos she always comprehended what I said to her and she could tell me exactly what she wanted so no frustrations. She also seemed advanced in other ways reading and writing from a young age. Now at school alwys in the top sets but she has definitely evened out with her peers. She is clever but I don't think she's truly gifted if she is she manages to hide it well to blend in!!! But it is lovely when you have an early speaker as you can have so much more interaction with them then otherwise, enjoy it and continue to keep him as stimulated as possible you will probably find they develop earlier in other areas too.

Agree, just have lots of fun with him and encourage any learning activities that he seems to enjoy. Like telling you jokes- an excellent learning activity .

I was just about to agree with Keeva (about the joys of not experiencing terrible twos because DS can explain himself). Unfortunately, I can hear him having a massive paddy with DH downstairs! My little darling turned three yesterday ...

It was particularly entertaining for us because she couldn't walk until she was 18 months - largely because she was practically circular. It was like having conversations with a cottage loaf!

Thanks, it's good to hear all of this!

This is normal for him. Just carry on as you are doing and sit and talk to him as much as you can. Try not to get him assessed if you can, it can be overwhelming for a parent. Remember that he's just a child and should be playing and having fun. This is what childhood should be about. Alot of parents with bright children forcefeed them information. This is not fun for the child and could cause depression etc in later life. Go with your child. If he asks a question, answer it. If you can't, look it up together.

My ds was talking at 10 months and having conversations at 14 months (6 words at a time). He could read at 3 and a half. He's 9 now and has a reading age of 16 (the test only went up to 16, they did it at school) and a maths age of 14.

Try to avoid people calling him gifted or special if you can. The children often end up having problems relating to others that are 'beneith them' so to speak. It gives them the notion that they are different to everyone else and does make some of them a PITA.

Ohh. Thanks .

What's a PITA, Avenanap? (Assuming you don't mean flat bread!

pain in the arse

And don't listen to ignorant well-meaning friends who tell you that such a gifted child is bound to grow up socially isolated! There is absolutely no proof that early development spells social incompetence. I have known two or three extremely early developers in my life and they have all grown up into delightful and very popular children. Just enjoy!

Thanks, everyone, for the advice. He can count now, too. I thought it was just reciting the numbers (we do the usual counting of stairs up and down, etc), but today I watched him, unprompted, take a handful of stones from a garden bed and count out seven of them. Is this at all normal for a 23 month old kid?

Why do you want or need to know if he is gifted?

So long as he is happy and enjoying himself, that he is not being pushed beyond what he likes, that you are answering his questions and doing things with him that he likes, etc. then that is fibe - there is no need to have to compare what is normal and not normal.

For your DS this is his normal. Later on, some children will be ahead of him, some will be the same, others a bit further behind. And all of these stages will be normal.

Just enjoy him and have fun wth him

All children are good at something!

And G&T in schools is something very different again. It simply is a set %age in each school chosen as being the best iin their year at a given subjet/area. A child can be G&T in ne school, move to a new school and no longer be G&T as they are not on the top %age, etc. It means little as it stands at present.

Yes, counting stones to 7 is within the normal range for 23 months (see thread on "counting to 14 at 18 months" - lots of anecdotes on there). Seems like the normal range is extremely wide at that age - as others have said, it tends to even up later.

sorry, I don't mean to sound like a ponce. It's just people saying things to me about him all the time that is getting to me, I guess. I'll drop it.

all our friends and neighbours called my ds 'golden wonderboy' from about 18 months because of his language skills.
at nursery, they asked the LEA to assess him as being gifted - the LEA told them to poke off - don't do it before school age, so they ran him with the yr r kids (i didn't know that tbh).
at 6, he is still ahead, but tbh schools will always differentiate as appropriate, and each child will develop at their own rate. i think because he started earlier the others are catching up now.
school are well aware of what he is capable of, but can barely get him to put pen to paper and he produces far less than anyone else in his group.
so we tell him he's the best at lazy bottomsitting.
which he probably is!

Counting 7 objects at 23months is excellent. Quite a few kids that age can rote count to 7 but cannot assign the numbers to objects. He sounds a smart little boy. His singing shows that he has an excellent memory too.
Just follow his lead and give him a great all round childhood.

Don't worry what other people say. I tend to just say 'thank you'. Whatever you do, don't play down his 'skills' in front of him or say 'but he cant do xxx'.