Many Ages at Once

What is normal development for a gifted child?

Many people assume that the brightest children in the classroom are the ones who are most able to pay attention, to sit still, to do their work, and to conform to the expectations of authority. They are the children who know how to act their age, at least; or, even better, they display unusual maturity. They fit in and are easy students to teach.

Parents, teachers, and others who live and work daily with these children know differently. Many young highly intelligent children are out of sync with their classmates and their environment, what one definition of giftedness, developed in 1991 by a group  of professionals and parents concerned about an overemphasis on achievement, refers to as asynchronous development:

"Giftedness is 'asynchronous development' in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting, teaching, and counseling in order for them to develop optimally."