Giftedness in young people in five questions

In kindergarten, your son already knew how to read? Is your granddaughter a mental math pro? These two examples seem to depict gifted young people, also called children with high potential. But what is it really? Here are five questions to understand intellectual giftedness in young people.

Veronique Larocque
The Press

Are the top of the class automatically gifted children?

“Not at all,” answers specialist educator Rachel Ouellet from the outset. “We imagine a child who is gifted as a young ultra-performing in mathematics or French. That, often, is a brilliant child who does well in school […], but it is not necessarily the gifted one. »

Pediatric neuropsychologist Marie-Josée Caron agrees: “There are many people who will have spheres of high skill without falling into the definition of giftedness. »

So what do we mean by giftedness? “It is a brain that is neurologically more efficient […]which performs better, which processes information more quickly and which has more developed areas,” explains Rachel Ouellet.

On the intelligence quotient (IQ) side, gifted young people have a score of 130 or more. Researchers estimate that 2 to 5% of children are affected by giftedness.

But beware, it is not because he has a more powerful brain that the gifted young person develops it to his full potential. “Me, I often say: it’s not because we have a good intelligence that we know how to use it,” jokes Rachel Ouellet.

Does a child with high potential succeed in all areas?

Once again, the answer is negative. “The gifted will like to learn what stimulates them, what interests them,” says Rachel Ouellet. For some, it will be playing a musical instrument. For others, it will be conducting scientific experiments or even cooking.

“Gifted, that does not necessarily mean that we will work at NASA”, summarizes the specialized educator, who wrote Douance, the toolbox.

Is giftedness an asset?

“It’s definitely an asset,” says Marie-Josée Caron. Contrary to certain myths conveyed, “the majority of young people with high intellectual potential do not have difficulty adapting”.

“It is not a guarantee of happiness, but giftedness is associated with several positive aspects for the majority of children who are carriers. […] It will generally lead them to better performance and a higher level of education,” she explains. Provided, however, that the child is motivated and well surrounded, specifies the neuropsychologist.

“Once they reach adulthood, in general, gifted people will say that they are generally more satisfied than others with their career, their personal life, their social life,” she says.

Two types of gifted children, however, are likely to face difficulties.

First, the few young people who have a very high intellectual potential, because of the big gap with their peers of the same age.

Then, the children who are in a situation of double exceptionality. “We are talking about someone who has both giftedness and one or more neurodevelopmental disorders. Being gifted is not a shield against everything that can happen. You are not immune to inheriting ADHD from your father or dyslexia from your mother, ”explains the co-author of 10 questions about giftedness and double exceptionality in children and adolescents. However, giftedness sometimes masks this other problem, which will take time to be diagnosed.

Are there more gifted children today than in the past?

Not necessarily. “We talk about it more,” replies Marie-Josée Caron, who believes that this leads more parents to have their child evaluated.

Besides, what does this kind of evaluation look like? “It’s a global assessment, explains the neuropsychologist. IQ is one of the measures […], but it’s much broader than that. »

If we think that our child is gifted, is it desirable to have him evaluated? Rachel Ouellet thinks so. “It’s really important that the youngster doesn’t spend years wondering why he’s different, why he’s interested in things that other people his age aren’t interested in. It also allows parents and the school to adapt and better meet the needs of the child, she says.

How can we equip a gifted child?

“Leave the academic at school,” advises Rachel Ouellet. “If the child has already seen all the material presented in class at home, he will find the school year long”, justifies the specialized educator, who experienced this situation with his eldest.

So what activities can we do to help him develop his high potential? “Get them to make soap boxes, build birdhouses, art, dance…”, lists Rachel Ouellet.

And at school ? She advises to give them the material, like to all the others. “But once it’s over, it’s done well, we move on. »

The school where she works, for example, offers gifted kits including “all kinds of activities and games to stimulate the whole brain […] : robotics, microscopes, logic games… »

For her part, Marie-Josée Caron emphasizes that enriched programs, whether musical, scientific or sporting, generally meet the expectations of the gifted.

In 2020, the Minister of Education, Jean-François Roberge, announced investments to help gifted children develop their full potential, in particular through mentoring and the creation of classes intended for them.

“There is a change in practices that is underway and that you can feel on the pitch. It’s really incredible,” says Marie-Josée Caron.

Douance, the toolbox

Rachel Ouellet

Editions de Mortagne

10 questions about giftedness and double exceptionality in children and adolescents

Marie-Josée Caron, Elodie Authier, Marina Attie, Julie Duval and Marie-Claude Guay

Editions Midi Trente