What is a gifted child personality?

Table of Contents

What are the common traits of gifted children?

Gifted children often display certain personality traits and behaviors that set them apart from their peers. Some of the most common characteristics of giftedness include:

High intelligence and advanced cognitive abilities
Excellent memory and rapid learning ability

Exceptional creativity and imagination
Advanced vocabulary and highly developed verbal skills
Preference for older companions or solitary play

Intense curiosity and obsession with specific interests
High emotional sensitivity and perfectionism
Boredom with routine tasks, resistance to drill and practice

Questioning of rules, customs and traditions
High activity level, restlessness, boundless energy

Of course, not all gifted kids exhibit all these traits, and some may show them more strongly than others. But most display a mix of the intellectual, creative, developmental and emotional intensities that set them apart. Recognizing the unique personality profile of giftedness is key to providing appropriate educational support.

Do gifted children have trouble socializing?

Many gifted children have difficulty finding peers at their intellectual level and connecting socially. Common social challenges include:

Preference for older companions or adults who match their advanced cognition
Boredom with age-typical games, activities and conversations

Feeling misunderstood or ostracized for being “different”
Difficulty relating to same-age peers and their interests
Isolation or rejection due to academic intensity or eagerness to learn

Reluctance to display their full abilities to avoid standing out
Strong sense of justice and intolerance of rules seen as unfair
Bossiness, criticism or stubbornness due to perfectionism

Focus on their own agenda rather than cooperating with peers

While social challenges are common for gifted kids, they are certainly capable of having healthy friendships. With understanding, guidance and access to intellectual peers, gifted children can thrive socially.

Do gifted kids have more emotional and behavioral issues?

Gifted children are no more likely to have psychological or behavioral disorders than the general population. However, some unique aspects of the gifted profile can lead to certain emotional struggles or maladjustments under certain circumstances, including:

Perfectionism and intense self-criticism leading to inability to complete tasks or self-sabotage
Boredom, frustration and underachievement due to lack of challenge
Social isolation, confusion and low self-esteem due to feeling “different”

Anxiety, excessive worry and fear of failure related to perfectionism
Excitability, intensity, misbehavior due to hyperactivity and lack of outlet
Depression or hopelessness from perfectionism or undiagnosed learning disabilities

Acting out, power struggles or defiance if needs aren’t accommodated

With appropriate programs tailored to support their needs, gifted children can thrive emotionally. A psychologically safe environment where differences are valued helps gifted kids adjust positively.

Do gifted kids have trouble in school?

While gifted children have the potential for academic success, many struggle in traditional school settings:

Boredom, frustration and daydreaming due to lack of challenge
Underachievement or inability to live up to potential
Aversion to routine practice or drill; resistance to busy work

Trouble with open-ended assignments offering little structure
Reluctance to show work due to efficient thinking processes
Questions and debates perceived as disruptive by teachers

Creativity viewed as experimentation or rule-breaking
Misdiagnosed learning disabilities due to uneven skill development
Social rejection for being smart; hiding talents to fit in

Gifted kids thrive when given more options for acceleration, enrichment and independent study. Strength-based approaches focusing on higher level concepts and interdisciplinary connections better suit their learning style.

What teaching strategies work best for gifted learners?

Certain instructional strategies are particularly effective for gifted students:

Individualized education programs with accelerated pacing in strength areas

Enrichment activities that expand on regular curriculum
Opportunities for independent study and focused interests
Grouping with intellectual peers for at least part of the day

Differentiated instruction tailored to their level of understanding
Emphasis on creative problem finding and solving
Complex, high level tasks with opportunities for self-direction

Interdisciplinary instruction making cross-curricular connections
Exposure to topics not typically covered in regular classes
Freedom to learn at an accelerated pace and show mastery quickly

When instruction is aligned with their advanced learning abilities, gifted students excel academically and are more engaged and motivated learners.

Do gifted kids have special learning needs?

While very bright, gifted children have unique learning needs that require adjustments in order to thrive:

Accelerated pace of instruction to match rapid learning speed

Less repetition and practice; more complex tasks and challenges
Opportunities to explore passionate interests in depth
Flexible pacing options to move through material more quickly

Differentiated instruction tailored to advanced comprehension
Enrichment projects and supplementary materials to go deeper
Movement and interaction; dislike of excessive seatwork

Choice in ways to demonstrate mastery and show competency
Occasional need to work independently with less direction
Learning environment appreciative of intensity and excitability

While gifted kids are often very capable, they require modifications to fully develop their potential. Accommodating their needs leads to greater engagement and motivation.

Do gifted kids think and learn differently from their peers?

In many ways, gifted children have very different cognitive processes and learning styles:

Grasp concepts and make connections more rapidly and easily

Prefer inductive learning and discovery; less need for drills
Exceptional ability to think critically, abstractly and make inferences
Display incredible memory capacity, recall and retention

Advanced and precocious verbal ability and vocabulary
Seek out patterns, discrepancies and underlying principles
Thrive on solving meaningful, complex problems with creativity

Show intense focus when interested; may miss details when bored
Prefer visual-spatial learning; strong visualization skills
Have rapid “mind-skipping” thought processes that are hard to track

Gifted kids benefit from design thinking, project-based learning and opportunities to apply advanced knowledge and skills creatively. A strength-based approach allows them to maximize their potential.

What are common issues for profoundly or highly gifted kids?

Extremely gifted children at the farthest end of the bell curve face additional challenges:

Much greater disynchrony between their cognition and physical/social maturity

Extreme boredom, underachievement and frustration in mainstream settings
Social isolation and difficulty finding intellectual peers at their level
Little motivation to practice skills already mastered; resist drill

Weak executive functioning skills relative to intellectual gifts
Overexcitabilities and intense sensitivities requiring accommodation
Existential depression and anxiety due to advanced cognition

Lack of true intellectual peers; dependence on older companionship
Radical giftedness mistaken for autism spectrum disorder

Highly and profoundly gifted kids benefit from early entrance to college, subject acceleration, special full-time gifted programs and early access to career development opportunities tailored to their ability level.

Do gifted kids have overexcitabilities or sensitivities?

Many gifted children exhibit “overexcitabilities” – intense reactions to sensory stimuli indicating increased sensitivity:

Psychomotor: heightened energy, restlessness, rapid speech, zealous enthusiasm
Sensual: intense sensory pleasure or displeasure to sights, smells, tastes, textures, sounds

Intellectual: avid curiosity, recursive thinking, theoretical analysis, moral questioning
Imaginational: vivid imagery, fantasy, animistic thinking, creative invention
Emotional: strong affects, complex emotions, identification with others’ feelings

Overexcitabilities are channels through which the gifted experience the world. While intense, they indicate rich inner experiences. Understanding OEs allows parents and teachers to provide needed support.

What are common characteristics of gifted underachievers?

Gifted kids who underachieve share many traits:

Extreme boredom with school and assignments

Lack of engagement leading to low motivation
Weak study and organizational skills
Low confidence in own abilities; fear of failure

Negative school experiences due to gifted needs not addressed
Little effort applied; coasting by on natural abilities
Dislike of mundane drill and practice tasks

Rejection of arbitrary rules or authoritarian structure
Subjects little interest or value to them; not allowed to accelerate
Perfectionism; would rather not try than risk less-than-perfect result

Underachievement is often a mismatch between environment and needs. Adjusting level and pace of instruction and allowing passionate pursuit of interests can reengage gifted kids.

What are common issues seen in gifted girls?

Gifted girls face some unique challenges:

Downplay abilities to fit in; mask giftedness to avoid teasing

Underestimate own competence due to societal messages
Minimize hands-on science education starting at young ages
More perfectionistic; more likely to avoid risk of failing

Concentrate talents into “acceptable” verbal areas
Face social backlash for assertiveness or questioning norms
Seen as bossy or aggressive for leadership skills praised in boys

judged more critically for personality traits accepted in boys
Prone to “imposter syndrome” as adults despite accomplishments

Gifted programming emphasizing female role models in STEM, leadership development, risk-taking and hands-on learning encourages girls’ talents. Same-sex groupings reduce stereotype threat.

What are characteristics of gifted culturally diverse youth?

Gifted children from diverse backgrounds often exhibit giftedness differently from mainstream white culture:

Strong creative, musical, artistic, oral storytelling abilities
Problem-solving skills shown in informal settings rather than formal tests

Exceptional insight into social dynamics and ability “read” situations
Spatial abilities and visual-kinesthetic intelligence
Leadership, social charisma and ability to inspire others

Culturally-specific interests not captured in traditional gifted measures
Advanced sense of justice, equity and desire for social change
Reluctance to stand out from peers or excel in “white” domains

Critical view of biased systems and institutional racism

Gifted identification methods and programs must be adapted to recognize culturally diverse abilities. Strength-based approaches are more equitable.

What are tips for parents raising gifted children?

Some helpful strategies for parenting gifted kids include:

Providing constant intellectual stimulation and exploratory opportunities
Facilitating friendship and peer groups with other gifted children
Exposing them to diverse interests and experiences

Arranging subject acceleration or above-grade-level activities
Advocating for appropriate educational services and gifted programs
Teaching organizational skills to handle informational intensity

Coaching self-care skills to manage sensitivity and overexcitability
Promoting identity development and moral responsibility
Allowing creative freedom and tolerating ideas out of the mainstream

Understanding needs for solitude and reflection

By providing support while allowing room for autonomy, parents help gifted kids reach their potential while developing self-awareness and social skills.

What are the pros and cons of early entrance to kindergarten or first grade?

Accelerating a gifted child into school early has advantages and disadvantages:

Pros:

Alleviates boredom from repetitious introductory content
Provides access to suitably challenging curriculum

Allows learning at an appropriate pace among intellectual peers
Reduces feelings of differentness from same-age classmates
Enables advanced educational opportunities and potential career acceleration

Cons:

Possible maturity gap and social disconnect from older classmates
May still need differentiation if profoundly gifted

Loss of time to develop executive functioning skills
Mismatch with motor skills development
Strain on family schedule and logistics

The key is matching the level of acceleration to the child’s abilities and needs. Partial acceleration options like subject skipping or pull-out programs offer flexibility.

Conclusion

While presenting certain unique challenges, gifted children have amazing talents and strengths. With proper understanding of their needs, interests and abilities, parents and teachers can support gifted kids to thrive socially, emotionally and academically. Accommodating their intensity and advanced development allows their gifts to blossom. By providing an enriching and strength-based environment, we enable gifted children to reach their full potential and make meaningful contributions to society.