If you think your child might be gifted, you can see an
Using a standard IQ test with a score of 100 as the "norm," those children who earn 130 or above are considered gifted; 145 is profoundly gifted. In other instances, assessment may be based on a combination of intelligence test scores, creativity, and ability to focus on a task.
Types of Tests for Giftedness
The two primary types of tests for gifted children are IQ tests and achievement tests. 3 Both types of tests have pros and cons. Speak with school officials to get a better sense of the test that's most suitable for your child.
Gifted Assessments may include the following:
Intellectual testing: Measures levels of cognitive skills and aspects of functioning in several areas such as verbal and nonverbal ability, fluid reasoning, knowledge, quantitative reasoning, visual-spatial reasoning, and working memory.
Moderately gifted: 130 to 144. Highly gifted: 145 to 159. Exceptionally gifted: 160 to 179. Profoundly gifted: 180 or higher.
IQ test experts estimate his IQ was somewhere between 160 and 180, which is quite high. Some people estimate his IQ was just over 200, hovering around 205. However, 160-180 is the more commonly estimated range. Only one in over 11,000 people score a 160, and only one in every 3.5 million people score a 180.
While giftedness and autism are two types of neurodivergent groups that are often confused, a child can absolutely be gifted and on the autism spectrum. This is where a dual diagnosis becomes incredibly important.
Ideally, gifted students require three components to maximize their potential: a safe and flexible learning environment, proper academic rigor, and dual focus on social-emotional learning.
They remember the answers, work independently, and retain all the words. Sometimes an extensive vocabulary or advanced reading level is an indicator. Perseveration refers to the obsessive and highly selective focus on things. In the context of gifted students, this can center around a current area of interest.
When should I have my child tested for giftedness? In regards to when to have your child tested, testing is generally believed to be most reliable and most predictive between the ages of six and nine years old.
Being gifted runs in families. If your gifted child has brothers or sisters, there's a bigger chance that they might be gifted too. But they might not be gifted in the same way. For example, one gifted child might be advanced in music and their gifted sibling might be passionate about spiritual learning.
At what age can you test a child's IQ? While you can test a child's IQ as early as 2 years and 6 months of age, the results may not be accurate and may in fact change with age. The best time to test IQ in children is between ages 5 and 8.
The child may have ADHD, which makes it hard to control their impulses or focus for long periods of time unless it is their area of interest. The child may be both gifted and have ADHD, which presents as an inconsistent (or even average) performance across school subjects.
Gifted children are born with natural abilities well above the average for their age. If your child is gifted, you might notice these natural abilities in the way they're learning and developing. Children can be gifted in any area of ability, and they can also be gifted in more than one area.
Gifted children often set very high standards for themselves and get frustrated when they can't meet them. This can sometimes result in tantrums and other difficult behaviour. It's great for your child to work towards high standards. But your child needs to understand that they can't have high standards for everything.
One of the most common characteristics of gifted students is their ability to learn things early and rapidly. Many gifted students have excellent memorization skills, which aids in their ability to connect previous knowledge with new information, thus accelerating their acquisition of new concepts.
While gifted children may not be any more susceptible to mental health issues as other adolescents, there are certain aspects of giftedness that may influence or amplify a gifted child's experience of mental health issues.
Specifically, existing research indicates that gifted individuals have: Increased regional brain volumes. Greater connectivity across brain regions. Brains that operate more efficiently.
There is a distinction between a gifted child and a smart child. All gifted children may be viewed as smart, but not all smart children are gifted. To put it briefly, a smart child can answer a question correctly.
The Genius Threshold: 130 and Beyond
While there is some debate among psychologists, a widely accepted threshold for genius IQ scores is 130 or above. This score places an individual in the top 2% of the population, making them exceptionally intelligent.
While we like to think everyone is special, some people have extraordinary abilities — intellectual, artistic, social, or athletic. Many experts believe only 3 to 5 percent of the population is gifted, though some estimates reach 20 percent.
Can IQ change with age? Yes. However, there is heavy debate over exactly how IQ and intelligence change with age. Studies have demonstrated that a person's fluid intelligence tends to decrease starting in their late 20s, while their crystallized intelligence tends to increase as they grow older.