They are called gifted, precocious or high potential. Behind these words are children who learn fast, ask a thousand questions and sometimes struggle at school. Understanding a gifted child starts with knowing what we are talking about, then supporting them as they are.
Gifted, high potential, precocious: what does it mean?
These terms describe the same reality. “Gifted” is the most common word in English, “intellectually precocious” stresses that the child is ahead of their age. In French-speaking Belgium, professionals usually speak of high potential (HP) or high intellectual potential (HIP).
By convention, a child is considered gifted from an intelligence quotient (IQ) of 130, measured with a standardised test. These tests are designed so that about 2% of the population scores above that threshold: the figure follows from the definition itself, it is not a headcount.
This threshold is only a reference point. Two children with the same IQ can have very different profiles: one shines everywhere, the other excels orally and stumbles over writing. Giftedness describes a way of functioning, with its strengths and vulnerabilities.
Signs that may catch your attention
No single sign is enough to conclude that a child is gifted. It is their accumulation, over time, that may set you thinking. Among the traits often described in gifted children:
- great curiosity, with endless questions on all kinds of subjects;
- fast learning, often on their own (early reading, a passion for a very specific field);
- a very good memory for what they see or hear;
- branching thinking: ideas come thick and fast, but they can lack organisation;
- correct reasoning that is hard to explain, because the child “sees” the answer without describing the steps;
- great sensitivity, empathy and a strong sense of justice;
- a well developed critical mind and a need to understand the reasons behind rules;
- ease in speaking, sometimes out of step with their writing;
- a preference for the company of older children or adults.
These traits are found in other children too. A curious, sensitive child is not necessarily gifted, and a gifted child does not tick every box.
Why can a gifted child have difficulties at school?
We easily picture the gifted pupil at the top of the class. Sometimes that is the case. But the education authorities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation acknowledge it: these pupils do not always have a smooth school career. There are several reasons for this.
- Boredom: when the material seems already known, the child switches off, finds it hard to get down to work and never gets used to making an effort.
- Study method: used to succeeding without studying, they find themselves at a loss the day memory is no longer enough, often in secondary school.
- Feeling different: they may feel out of step with their classmates, which weighs on their confidence and social life.
- Relationships with adults: their need to understand rules can be seen as provocation, and tension builds with the teacher or at home.
Giftedness can also go hand in hand with a learning disorder (dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD). This is called twice exceptionality: the child’s abilities partly mask their difficulties, and the reverse is also true.
Should you have your child tested?
A test is not an end in itself. It becomes useful when the child is unhappy, when their results do not reflect their abilities, or when you are wondering about their choice of studies or skipping a year.
Giftedness is identified during a psychological assessment carried out by a psychologist or neuropsychologist. For children, it most often relies on a standardised intelligence scale (such as the WISC-V), together with an interview and an analysis of the profile. A score alone, without this interpretation, says little. Online IQ tests cannot provide a diagnosis.
The school’s PMS centre (psycho-medical-social centre, called CLB in Flemish schools) is a free first point of contact: it can review the situation with you and refer you on.
What the school can put in place
The Wallonia-Brussels Federation, which runs French-speaking education in Belgium, has chosen to keep gifted pupils in mainstream schools. Since the decree of 7 December 2017, in force since September 2018, pupils with specific needs are entitled to reasonable accommodations, and high intellectual potential is one of the profiles for which the Federation has published a guidance sheet for teachers.
In practice, these accommodations start from a diagnosis made by a specialist and are discussed with the school and the PMS centre: enriched work, in-depth projects or help with organisation, for example. Talk to your child’s class teacher about it.
How to support your child day to day
Your role as a parent remains central. A few ideas, to adapt to your child:
- Help them understand themselves: explain how they function and what the school expects of them, without presenting them as “better” than others.
- Set a clear framework: rules that are explained and stable limits for work and discussions reassure them more than they hold them back.
- Explain the why: a gifted child accepts an instruction more readily when they understand its purpose.
- Praise effort, not just results: this is what will prepare them for the years when success takes work.
- Feed their curiosity: books, museums, projects, challenges at their level, and time to explore together a subject they love.
- Encourage creative and sporting activities, which let them express themselves differently and meet other children.
- Respect them as they are, with their strengths and vulnerabilities, without reducing everything to IQ.
Giftedness is only one facet of intelligence. Our article on the 8 types of intelligence and their impact on schooling helps you see how your child learns best. And if boredom is turning them away from lessons, also read my child doesn’t like school.
Individual support, at their own pace
Many gifted children have never learned how to learn. Tutoring in study skills helps them get organised, plan and make a regular effort, before difficulties set in.
At My Sherpa, an educational advisor chooses a coach suited to your child’s profile: someone who knows how to stimulate them, refocus them tactfully and offer them challenges. Lessons take place at home, anywhere in Belgium, or online, in primary and secondary school.
