Highly gifted is the term used to describe people whose test result in a standardised intelligence test is at least two standard deviations above the mean of the control group of the same age - i.e. as a rule, in an arbitrary sample of an age structure in the same cultural environment, it is the last "2 percent"i.e. 98% of those tested in the same sample achieve a lower score.
However, since different intelligence tests do not correlate perfectly with each other due to different tasks and emphases, there may well be people who are highly gifted when measured by one intelligence test and are not when measured by another.
Causes of giftedness
A combination of the following is considered a likely cause social environment (especially during childhood) and genetic Factors.
Indications of giftedness. Here are just a few:
- High level of detailed knowledge and very good understanding of interrelationships
- unusually large vocabulary
- exceptional language
- early reading or math
- (early) interest in books far above the age level
- Preference for independent work, high goals - but also with it
- Feeling of being isolated or an outsider, the child feels misunderstood.
- deep immersion in certain problems
- is considered a nerd or a know-it-all
- conspicuously good grades (there is a very strong correlation between intelligence and school grades, but not every gifted student is a good student and not every good student is gifted)
- little interest in age-typical activities
- Preference for verbal rather than physical confrontations
- intellectually very well developed, but emotionally at an age-typical level
- Choice significantly older friends
On the subject of boredom
We deliberately did not include the indication of boredom in the list.
Very often we see children who express "boredom" with certain tasks, for example at school, and then refuse to do them. As an immediate reflex, a "giftedness" is then assumed without the corresponding diagnostics having been undertaken beforehand. As a consequence, these children are then transferred to higher classes in order to satisfy their thirst for knowledge. If, however, the expressed "boredom" was only a kind of pretext to avoid things that are unloved or difficult for the child concerned, the catastrophe is pre-programmed. We are therefore of the opinion that even a highly gifted child must be able to accept and implement demands, even if they are unloved.
Diagnostics
In the case of children, a detailed diagnosis consists of the interpretation of behaviour, taking into account the social environment, the analysis of exceptional performance (for example at school or in competitions) and the intelligence test. Subsequently, a differentiated diagnosis is made, which serves as a basis for the possibly following support or further examinations.
In our practice we carry out different Intelligence Testing which are selected depending on the question and focus.
Promotion