Does anyone have a gifted child?

[Warby]

I am pretty sure that my almost 7 year old son meets diagnostic criteria for giftedness. He has not been formally assessed, but I am a special education teacher with a lot of experience in examining psycho-educational assessments and with what qualifies as giftedness.

It's not the label/diagnosis that I am concerned about; he is being challenged in his school program so that is all good.

He exhibits several behavioural concerns that seem to be related to giftedness (specifically, to his brain depleting the body's supply of glucose). I wondered if there are any other parents of gifted children who sometimes struggle with their child's behaviour- would love to chat about successful strategies.

 

[Dream.dream]

Hey if you'd like to message me I can. I have a 4 year old whose considered gifted and will be attending a gifted children program at a charter school next year for kindergarten.

I was dual coded growing up as well as gifted and had ADHD so I have some insite.

 

[sparkle23]

What kind of signs do you notice that signify his body is being depleted of glucose due to his brain? *curious*

 

[Warby]

It is a bit hard to describe, but I notice that he has "crashes". He will be perfectly fine, cooperative, happy, and then there is a fast shift. He becomes cranky, belligerent, very sensitive to thinks like clothing tags and sock seams, and can't seem to calm himself down.

It is not JUST this behaviour that makes me think he is gifted. I know that lots of kids have these "crashes" when they get hungry or tired. Lately I have been prompting him to eat a high protein snack when I notice him getting a bit cranky and it seems to be a good strategy.

Like I said, I am not suggesting that he is gifted because of these behaviours. I don't want to get into his academic achievements because it would just sound like bragging.

There are a lot of behaviours that are common in gifted children, and the research suggests that they are linked to the brain using up the bodies supply of glucose. A gifted child's brain may work more quickly than a regular brain so depletes the fuel supply sooner.

Sensitivity to tags and seams is quite common in gifted kids. So are extreme emotions. For my son, every problem is a big problem, every scrape or cut is excruciating (we are trying to give him cooing strategies). It works the other way too...he is the most empathetic, loving and enthusiastic child. A delicious meal is the best one he ever ate, a day of fun is the best day of his life, etc.

Sleep issues are also common in gifted children. My little guy had night terrors for a long time, occasionally sleepwalks, and often talks in his sleep.

 

[Belle25]

My daughter is classed as gifted by her school. She finds her work at school easy.

I'm finding frustration that her school labels her as gifted, but offers no channels to develop this.

So at home, I ensure she has plenty to read, and we do educational fun trips etc.

Stalking this thread xx

 

[Jo.t]

I have 2 "gifted & talented" maths & science. Our school is great though & they give them trickier stuff to do & even sent the older one to uni for a few days !

They are both good kids but the school has noticed they play up when the work is not challenge enough! X

 

[Warby]

My son is in a French Immersion school, so he is receiving all instruction in a second language. For home reading, the kids all get books at their individual reading levels, and my son also got some enrichment time with an educational assistant. Plus, a lot of the stuff in grade 1 is easy for him to extend on his own. Like with patterns, the children were asked to build a repeating pattern with blocks. So someone could do square, circle, square, circle to show a pattern, and someone else could do triangle pointed up, triangle pointed down, circle, square, circle (repeat) and also be answering the question.

I am finding that my son's reading level is significantly higher than his maturity level. He is reading at mid grade 3 and wants to read stuff like Goosebumps, but given his active imagination he would be freaked out by the ghosts and spooks and scary stuff. We are reading Judy Blume's Fudge series right now (I am mostly reading aloud to him and to his sister, but he can read the books on his own). Lo and behold, there was a whole chapter about how Santa wasn't real!! Glad I found that when I was reading aloud and was able to edit my reading. All my kids still believe and I want them to continue believing.

 

[SerenityNow]

I can't say that either of my kids is gifted because they've never taken an IQ test. But they each excel academically, my eldest particularly with reading, my middle child is more analytical but also reads well above grade level.

I can't comment on any physiological or behavior issues. I'm hugely proud of my kids but they aren't prodigies or anything.

Finding appropriate books is something that we have struggled with. Talk to a children's librarian. There is a lot out there that will engage and challenge your son without traumatizing him. Some authors that my kids loved at that age are E. Nesbit, Wilson Rawls, Roald Dahl of course. If I think of others I'll come back, but I highly recommend talking to a good children's librarian-- matching kids with books is what they do!

 

[amjon]

I am a gifted teacher and have never heard of that (though I am hypoglycemic and get severe crashes and was put in gifted as a child). Just try to not let him eat carbs without fat and protein and it should help with the crashes.

 

[Warby]

James Webb has done a lot of work in this area, looking at dual or misdiagnoses of gifted children. One of the things he says is " Gifted kids’ brains consume more glucose, particularly when their brains are being engaged. About 6-8% end up with reactive hypoglycemia, but it commonly gets misdiagnosed as bipolar or ADHD, when the kids simply need protein snacks (not sugar) throughout the day. So if your child’s moods swing several times a day, try beef jerky, peanut butter and cheese sticks before running to the doctor. (But watch out for allergies.)".

My son is very active but does not have ADHD (Not hyperactive, distracted, nor combined type). And I don't think anyone would consider him to be bipolar. Probably, when he is having one of his crashes, he'd be considered a big brat.

We've had success with the protein snacks. I stocked up on cheese strings, Greek yogurt, pepperoni sticks and beef jerky. When he gets in one of his foul moods I direct him to protein and he is usually better very quickly. He has even started to self regulate by getting himself a snack when he feels that he is cranky.

 

[Heinz57baby]

Did you have your child tested or assessed academically or behaviourally?

My child is 13, has ADHD, is designated as gifted and is in French Immersion. Some of what you describe is quite similar, but some of the behaviours you describe can also suggest Aspergers or Autism. Any diagnosis can come in varying degrees, so it is worth it to look into it if you haven't done so already.

I was actually searching online for help deciding on French Immersion vs gifted programs, as in our city you have to choose one or the other for high school while the child is in grade eight. None of the research I have done effectively addresses the impacts of children with behavioural/developmental challenges. This was a forum that popped up on the search.

We have gone through a lot of changes, triumphs and tragedies, and the best is yet to come. I hope I can provide some form of help and hopefully someone can do the same for me.

 

[Warby]

Hi again,

Thanks all for your feedback and advice. He is not anywhere on the ASD spectrum. The other thing that is important, and I forgot to add, is he saves poor behaviour for home and close family members (lucky us!). He might have a tantrum at home but just brush it off at school, at church, while at Beavers, etc. He DOES have reactive hypoglycaemia; we do have that diagnosis. He would have his crashes at school except for the very structured eating schedule. He eats a good breakfast at home, has a snack at recess, has a balanced lunch, and is fine. His crashes tend to occur at weekends or on holidays when he may not eat at the same time or other variations.

He is in French immersion now. When he gets to high school he can take (if he wants to) FLA, Social Studies and Math in French International Baccalaureate. That is a ways away now. I think we will probably have him tested at the end of grade 2.

Heinz57, what program is your son in now? Does he take meds for the ADHD and how do they affect him in terms of appetite and sleep? Gifted programs (at least around here in Alberta) tend to have a lot of personalized projects that encourage children to develop their interests and strengths. French immersion tends to be a bit more traditional and structured.

 

[Heinz57baby]

Hello

We started mess again after 3 years off. We stopped because the last medication my son was given had made him zombie-like. Those three years were like a roller coaster but I had been so afraid of trying medication again that I didn't want to consider the possibility. It's too early to see effects from the new medication yet.

Now, we understand that there will be many changes in high school - less supports unless you follow the path the school board has laid out or if you have money. We've decided to go with the gifted program because that school will continue with an IEP and my son will still have the opportunity to take French. There also also other areas of study that he finds interesting and he's eager to find out more at the school's tour coming up soon. He's most excited about getting to help design his personal program.

As for behaviour, I am told my son is extremely polite and well versed. He does not like to show me that side. My family and friends usually do not believe the frustrations I have until a long period of time has passed and my son shows his other side. He is better than years ago, but still a work in progress. I just keep reinforcing the expectations with written and verbal reminders - obviously if he's behaving well for someone, I must be getting through! It's hard but I have to be hopeful that it will all pay off one day.

 

[Heinz57baby]

I forgot about sleep.

My son has always had trouble with sleep - on or off medication. He has always been hard to get off to sleep and he wakes up in the middle of the night. He tries to get himself to sleep and is only successful half the time.

 

[OmarsMum]

It is a bit hard to describe, but I notice that he has "crashes". He will be perfectly fine, cooperative, happy, and then there is a fast shift. He becomes cranky, belligerent, very sensitive to thinks like clothing tags and sock seams, and can't seem to calm himself down.

It is not JUST this behaviour that makes me think he is gifted. I know that lots of kids have these "crashes" when they get hungry or tired. Lately I have been prompting him to eat a high protein snack when I notice him getting a bit cranky and it seems to be a good strategy.

Like I said, I am not suggesting that he is gifted because of these behaviours. I don't want to get into his academic achievements because it would just sound like bragging.

There are a lot of behaviours that are common in gifted children, and the research suggests that they are linked to the brain using up the bodies supply of glucose. A gifted child's brain may work more quickly than a regular brain so depletes the fuel supply sooner.

Sensitivity to tags and seams is quite common in gifted kids. So are extreme emotions. For my son, every problem is a big problem, every scrape or cut is excruciating (we are trying to give him cooing strategies). It works the other way too...he is the most empathetic, loving and enthusiastic child. A delicious meal is the best one he ever ate, a day of fun is the best day of his life, etc.

Sleep issues are also common in gifted children. My little guy had night terrors for a long time, occasionally sleepwalks, and often talks in his sleep.

This describes my son!

He started school just recently (I have a thread in toddlers forum explaining him behaviour since he started school)

I dont know if he's gifted but he's always advanced for his age.

We Still co-sleep as his sleep is restless, he wakes up several times at nightm he also suffers from night terrors

He doesnt touch food at school, he's fine in the mornings as he eats a big breakfast before he goes, but at 11 am he gets cranky, & he starts crying. He even refuses to go out to the open play area with the other kids as according to him it's too hot.

I hate weekends as I end up with a whiney kid, he's not naughty by nature, but he goes through a perosnality switch during weekends as if he's seeking for attention.

When he gets in a cranky mood I offer him a snack & it seems that it helps in improving his mood.

He's bored at school, when he comes back home he has loads of energy, he wants to run around nonstop, he's too loud, & he's getting so aggressive those days. He didnt have behavioural issues when he was younger, but it seems going to school triggered it.

I feel lost most of the time, I dont know how to handle his behaviour.

 

[OmarsMum]

https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/toddler-pre-school/2042027-dont-know-do.html

This is the thread I posted recently, he goes to IB school that follows the PYP for early years education. He's bilingual, & he knows a lot in a 3rd language

 

[Warby]

It is a bit hard to describe, but I notice that he has "crashes". He will be perfectly fine, cooperative, happy, and then there is a fast shift. He becomes cranky, belligerent, very sensitive to thinks like clothing tags and sock seams, and can't seem to calm himself down.

It is not JUST this behaviour that makes me think he is gifted. I know that lots of kids have these "crashes" when they get hungry or tired. Lately I have been prompting him to eat a high protein snack when I notice him getting a bit cranky and it seems to be a good strategy.

Like I said, I am not suggesting that he is gifted because of these behaviours. I don't want to get into his academic achievements because it would just sound like bragging.

There are a lot of behaviours that are common in gifted children, and the research suggests that they are linked to the brain using up the bodies supply of glucose. A gifted child's brain may work more quickly than a regular brain so depletes the fuel supply sooner.

Sensitivity to tags and seams is quite common in gifted kids. So are extreme emotions. For my son, every problem is a big problem, every scrape or cut is excruciating (we are trying to give him cooing strategies). It works the other way too...he is the most empathetic, loving and enthusiastic child. A delicious meal is the best one he ever ate, a day of fun is the best day of his life, etc.

Sleep issues are also common in gifted children. My little guy had night terrors for a long time, occasionally sleepwalks, and often talks in his sleep.

This describes my son!

He started school just recently (I have a thread in toddlers forum explaining him behaviour since he started school)

I dont know if he's gifted but he's always advanced for his age.

We Still co-sleep as his sleep is restless, he wakes up several times at nightm he also suffers from night terrors

He doesnt touch food at school, he's fine in the mornings as he eats a big breakfast before he goes, but at 11 am he gets cranky, & he starts crying. He even refuses to go out to the open play area with the other kids as according to him it's too hot.

I hate weekends as I end up with a whiney kid, he's not naughty by nature, but he goes through a perosnality switch during weekends as if he's seeking for attention.

When he gets in a cranky mood I offer him a snack & it seems that it helps in improving his mood.

He's bored at school, when he comes back home he has loads of energy, he wants to run around nonstop, he's too loud, & he's getting so aggressive those days. He didnt have behavioural issues when he was younger, but it seems going to school triggered it.

I feel lost most of the time, I dont know how to handle his behaviour.

Looking back, we didn't have a lot of issues with my son when he was that age. And I credit that solely to the fact that he had a monstrous appetite when he was a little guy. Seriously, he would eat as much as his dad, and he is a skinny little guy.

The only thing I might suggest trying for your LO is protein. Every meal and snack he needs a good source of protein. It might help to offer him choices "do you want crackers and cheese, or an apple and peanut butter with a glass of milk?", but he MUST eat something. If he says he isn't hungry he drinks a glass of milk. That protein provides his brain with long lasting fuel.

Oh, the other thing I have noticed about my son is that he does need lots of physical activity, but it is best if it is structured activity. Taking him to a gymnastics class is better than telling him to play in the backyard, for instance. Even saying something like "we are going to ride our bikes to the yellow park, play for a while, then ride the long way home" is better than "let's go for a bike ride".

It does sound as though Omar may be gifted- something to keep in mind as he gets older.

 

[OmarsMum]

Thanks hun, this is very helpful, I offer him cashew nuts when he gets cranky, he eats good amount of animal & plants protein. I wake sure to give him protein for breakfast, he eats a cooked meal before school as he deoent eat any breakfast type food.

We're looking into swimming classes, he goes to piano classes & he's doing well, he will also start abacus classes, it's for 5 yrs but he was accepted after the assessment. He's been asking us recently to go back to soccer classes but unfortunately it's too far away from home.

He prefers structured activities, even at home he should make up a scenario while playing, he should be someone doing some sort of a job even when he runs around, he doesn't play or act randomly.

It's not easy, I really hope his behaviour gets better soon, it's really exhausting xx

 

[xs5]

My 12 year old daughter is, she doesn't have behavior problems as she is a perfectionist and requires everyones approval. She does suffer with high anxiety, and does have meltdowns and can be extremely emotional when she is not normally. We figured out her anxiety is triggered by anything new, so we introduce her to situations slowly and with as much info as we can.