Everyone Wants to Think their Toddler is Gifted: Sorting Through Parent Bias and the Truth

Jenny was nine months old when she spoke in full sentences. By eighteen months she could write her own name. At two she could identify all the coins, how much they were worth, and could show you that two dimes and a nickel were equal to a quarter. By three she was reading and that same year she could put together a 50 piece jigsaw puzzle--alone. Gifted toddlers exhibit a wide array of unique behaviors that set them apart from their fellow non-gifted peers.

Gifted toddlers can be easy or hard to identify, depending on what signs of giftedness you are looking for. Many parents want to think their child is gifted, and label perfectly normal, or slightly advanced, behaviors as "genius." Because society's definition of "gifted" is fluid, and because toddlers can exhibit changing traits that may point to giftedness, or may just point to other issues such as tiredness, overwhelm, curiosity, or other concepts, identifying a gifted toddler can be a frustrating experience.

However, it is a process that is crucial: gifted toddlers who do not have their intellectual needs met long-term can experience a host of problems later in life, ranging from increased drug abuse rates, increased suicide rates, higher high school dropout rates, and more. Parents who push for a gifted label for non-gifted toddlers can cause serious problems long-term, just as parents who do not meet the needs of gifted toddlers place them at risk.

For these and other reasons, gifted toddlers should be identified by a professional as early as possible, so that early intervention can take place, and their academic needs can be met.

So what are some signs and symptoms of a gifted toddler?

1. Early talking. While most children don't begin to talk beyond "mama" "dada" and "bye-bye" before eighteen months or so, eighteen month old gifted toddlers may be speaking in full sentences with sentence clauses. It is not outside the realm of normal for an advanced child to speak two word sentences at six or seven months of age: see my article on Gifted Infants for more information on this phenomenon.

2. Advanced motor skills. While many toddlers will be walking right around fifteen to eighteen months, gifted toddlers may start as young as eight or nine months. Early walking is not a sure sign of gifted toddlers, but it is certain one possible sign. Other advanced motor skills may include drawing recognizable letter, shapes, and pictures in toddlerhood, the ability to ride a tricycle or roller skate by two, advanced eye-hand coordination (i.e. using a computer mouse correctly, putting on a golf course properly), and other motor skills abilities that make other people near the gifted toddlers sit up and take notice.

3. Extremely long attention spans or high levels of focus. This is a difficult sign of gifted toddlers, because most toddlers are in constant motion and seem to have short attention spans. However, when gifted toddlers zero in on objects or processes of interest, they can be riveted for thirty minutes or more-a tremendously long time for that age.

4. Complex mental task ability. An eighteen month old who can put a twenty-four piece puzzle together without help. A two year old who reads on her own. A twenty-seven month old who can add and subtract. A thirty month old who is asked, "If we have two cookies and four people, how can each person get a share"? and they answer, "Everyone gets a haf!" These sorts of traits are signs of gifted toddlers.

While this is not an exhaustive list, gifted toddlers show signs of their advanced nature at very young ages. If you suspect giftedness in your child, contact an educational specialist with a background n gifted education for an assessment. Early identification is key for proper development.

The gifted label in toddlers may seem overwhelming, and yet having that label opens up services and educational opportunities for gifted toddlers. Where can parents get an evaluation? Through the early childhood department at a local university, the educational psychology department at a college, the public school district, or through a private educational psychologist trained in gifted assessment.

While it may seem premature to label eighteen month old toddlers gifted, for children who are highly, exceptionally, or profoundly gifted the earlier the lable the better; meeting the educational needs of gifted toddlers is crucial for providing a balance between educational, psychological, and emotional well-being and development.