How to Tell If Your Baby Is Gifted

Every parent feels that their baby is distinct and they are of course. Each child is unique, but some parents wonder if their child is extraordinary and possibly superior in talents. The question is, how can you tell if your child has “above average” intelligence?

For babies, it tends to be a little harder to see specific giftedness and you will want to look into certain traits that can signal exceptional qualities.

How to Tell If Your Baby Is Gifted

Unless you have someone professional look at your child’s ability, you may not be able to tell easily if your baby is gifted. At a very young age, there isn’t a way to look for traits that can tell you your child is of exceptionally high intelligence. There are a few signs that appear more often in highly intelligent children and you can start by looking for these.

These signs that appear are possibly due to the actual physical makeup in the brain. Children who are gifted usually get this from both genetics and their environment. These two things have a profound impact on the development of the brain. When a baby has highly developed cognition, it is actually their own brains capability to utilize and retain information quicker than other children in the same age group. Here are some common signs that your baby may be gifted:

Traits and Signs	Description
Early Milestones	Babies who are gifted tend to meet certain milestones earlier than other babies. They will crawl, walk and even speak at younger ages than other babies.
Highly Developed Language Skills	Babies that are gifted tend to be very interested in what you are saying very early on. When reading to a gifted child they will comprehend and show interest in the book even as early as 6 months. They will also speak in sentences by at least 14 months and can follow spoken directions by at least 18 months.
Remembers Well	If your baby is gifted, he or she may have a remarkable memory form early on. They may remember where a hidden toy is or understand that the kitchen is for eating. You will notice they remember times and places better than other children.
Solves Problems	Babies that are gifted seem to solve problems that only older children should be able to understand. One example is babies that learn to escape their cribs or baby gates by stacking objects.
Able to Focus For Long Periods of Time	Most babies and toddlers lose interest in things pretty quickly. You may begin to read a story and have your baby move to another task before you even finish, or if your baby is gifted they may sit and listen to the entire story. The same holds true with play.
Baby Seems Very Alert	These babies connect with people and their surroundings very early on. Even gifted infants will turn their head when someone speaks and actually look into someone’ eyes as if they understand what is being said.
Advanced Language Skills	Gifted children will use higher than average language skills. You may notice your toddler using big words and long sentences with older people, but change their language to a more simple tone when talking to other children.
Artistic or Good With Numbers	If your child seems to draw really well or can add numbers or subtract, there is high probability they are gifted.
Increased Activity Levels	A child who is gifted may have high activity levels with a longer attention span. Children that suffer from hyperactivity as a condition, tend to have shorter attention spans. Gifted children seem to go and go on the same task until it is completed.
They Have Certain Behavioral and Emotional Signs	Children who are above average tend to have more complex and intense emotions. They can tell how others are feeling and are more empathetic. Children on average are less sensitive to others emotions at a young age, so having empathy is a sign your child may understand more than the average child.
Imagination Is Overly Vivid	If your child is gifted, they may have an overly advanced imagination during play making up imaginary friends and situations that are very complex.
Ability to Connect Situations	Look for the ability for your child to make connections and situations and use them outside your home. One example of this is seeing your child acknowledge someone else’s refrigerator and ask for a drink.
Good Perception	Your baby may seem overly sensitive to changes in his or her environment. This may be a clue to advanced perception. If you cut your hair, take off your eyeglasses does your baby seem to notice? Or do they want to cuddle you when you are crying or wipe your tears? These are signs of very advanced perception in babies and should be noted.
Overly Inquisitive or Curious	It is quite normal for all babies to be very curious during infant and toddler stages. Children and babies that have an extremely keen sense of curiosity may be gifted. Normal kids are curious about “kid” type things including their toys, books and objects that look fun. When a child is gifted they go a little further. They may instead take a toy apart to see what is inside or other things around the house. This can pose a significant safety hazard so make sure you keep small object out of reach or things that contain small objects like tiny watch batteries.
Prefers Playing Alone	Children who are gifted seem very content playing by themselves rather than in groups of other kids. You may find your child sitting alone reading a book or just quietly playing with a toy alone.

Watch a video to learn more signs of how to tell if your baby is gifted:

How to Test If Your Baby Is Gifted

For most gifted children, it is not necessary to test until they have started grade school. However, if you have a preschool child that is having some issues with social interaction, nightmares or anxiety it may be a good idea to have your child tested early.

One place to start is your child’s preschool or daycare. The administrator can refer you to a qualified health professional that does testing for giftedness. If you cannot get help from your child’s school, consult your child’s pediatrician for a referral for testing.

IQ testing can be done as early as the age of 3 years old. Ability testing can be done at this time also. Average IQ scores are between 85 and 115, if a child is between 120 and 130, they are considered exceptional and can be put in classes for gifted children.

Keep in mind that if your child scores an above average IQ, they will also look at other factors before your child qualifies as a gifted child. You may need to fill out a parents questionnaire and other teams may look at your child before a diagnosis is made.

Giftedness with a Learning Disability

There are certain occasions when a gifted child is hard to diagnose. Some children can both be gifted with a learning disability. Some children may only be diagnosed with a learning disability and the fact that they are actually gifted can be missed.

There is also a barrier in diagnosing children from other racial backgrounds or who speak a different language. Testing can be modified to provide for these needs if you find a practitioner that does multi-cultural services with a language interpreter.