Education
Early Identification of Giftedness
F
rom the moment a baby is born, parents, family members and caregivers are constantly looking for reassurance that the infant is developing ‘normally’. Such attention is usually focused upon the baby reaching developmental milestones at the expected age or within what is regarded as a reasonable timeframe. Adults generally acknowledge that there can be individual differences in development and that infants can be slightly delayed in reaching some developmental milestones without this being a cause for concern. When a baby or infant appears to be developmentally delayed by several months, attentive parents will approach a medical practitioner, paediatrician or other child development specialist to seek reassurance that this developmental delay is within the normal range of development. If their child is found to have significant delays, parents naturally want to identify a cause for this delay (if possible) and to establish ways in which they can help
6
to progress the child’s development. Attentive, aware and nurturing parents who arrange early identification, intervention and supports for the child who is developmentally delayed will achieve the best possible long-term outcomes for their child. What happens if the infant’s development is not ‘normal’, but in a different way? What happens if an infant’s attainment of developmental milestones does not fall within the expected age range but instead, these milestones are achieved ahead of the expected age range? Parents generally acknowledge that there can be individual differences in development and that infants can be slightly ahead in reaching some developmental milestones without this provoking comment. As with developmental delays, it is the degree of variance from the expected norm that seems to focus caregivers’ attention. Lists of the expected developmental milestones and the ages at which these are expected to be achieved are freely available. Despite what is listed, parents understand that a child’s
Your Local Families Magazine – Brisbane Issue 9 - April/May 2014
development is not always linear, evenly spaced and consistent with the details on a chart. Babies and infants who are achieving milestones approximately one-third ahead of the expected age should be carefully observed to see if this was just a brief growth spurt or if this is a consistent pattern of advanced development. An infant, who exhibits other behaviours such as: an unusual level of alertness, heightened awareness and perception, greater curiosity, extended concentration span and advanced play patterns, may be exhibiting behaviours that are consistent with advanced development or giftedness. Just as parents of children with developmental delays might experience, there can be discomfort, distress or denial about a child’s developmental difference. Unsure what to do, a parent may initially ignore or deny that a child appears different from most other children in any way. Parents of young children with advanced development rarely seek clarification or suggestions from parents of other young children, afraid that their comments