Education
ASYNCHRONY in Childcare
W
e all have relative strengths and weaknesses – some things we can do better than others. Children who are developmentally advanced (in comparison with chronological peers) may have other areas of development that are not so advanced. This unevenness of development in gifted children is referred to as asynchrony. Linda Silverman, a psychologist and author, writes “there are children who progress through the intellectual milestones at a more rapid rate than their peers. The brighter they are, the more uneven their development is likely to be – intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally.”
however a child with less ability to regulate emotions (often triggered by sensitivity) can exhibit behaviour that is perceived by adults as emotional immaturity. Heightened intellectual abilities, advanced knowledge and different interests are some of the reasons why gifted children tend to
Gifted children tend to be perceptive, sensitive and mature in their thinking
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Asynchrony means being out-of-synch. The term is used to refer to the discrepancy between different levels of development within a single child as well as the discrepancies that often exist between a gifted child and chronological peers. Although asynchrony occurs throughout life, it is noticeable in young gifted children who exhibit variation in different areas of development. This is most obvious when a young gifted child’s advanced intellectual skills are compared with their physical development. A child may be able to think, question and discuss issues at an advanced level but not yet be toilet-trained, able to dress themselves or use scissors. Children may be early readers but fine-motor coordination may not yet be developed sufficiently to draw with crayons or write.
gravitate towards playing with older children and want to form friendships outside of chronological peer groups. Nancy Robinson, from the University of Washington, describes the social difficulties that such asynchrony creates: “The younger the children are, the more circumscribed is their social radius and the less likely they are to encounter truly compatible friends.”
Gifted children tend to be perceptive, sensitive and mature in their thinking;
Asynchrony can be accommodated within flexible families but in childcare
Your Local Families Magazine – Brisbane Issue 6 - October/November 2014
facilities, especially those where children are placed in groups based upon chronological age or specific developmental milestones; the asynchronous gifted child presents a dilemma for staff because the child doesn’t fit within a certain age group or stage of development. The gifted child may be ready to play with more advanced toys and need to relate to older children but the staff to child ratio in the older children’s section may not allow for placement of a younger gifted child who is not yet toilet-trained, requires assistance with dressing and/or still experiences difficulties with emotional regulation. Just as a standard school curriculum and class arrangements do not necessarily fit the academic needs of older gifted children, regular childcare structures and provisions may not provide a good fit for the asynchronous gifted child.