But some gifted children are late bloomers. Although hardly a technical or diagnostic term, "late bloomers" characterizes gifted children who master intellectual, developmental or social/emotional milestones at later points in time than is expected.
Late bloomers have more developed brains.
The human prefrontal cortex starts developing in adolescence, but it's not done until you're about twenty-five—that's three years after the average “conveyor belt” student graduates university.
Late bloomers have learned more skills and have more complex social networks than people who peaked earlier in life. This means that once you hit your stride, you have the infrastructure to make it last for a significantly longer period of time than those who found mild to massive success in their younger years.
Most late bloomers start off as an average or even above average height as infants and toddlers. But around their third or fourth birthday, they start to slow down on their growth. While they still grow a normal amount each year, it's often not as much as their peers.
It usually makes parents proud when their children reach a developmental milestone ahead of other kids. But when it comes to intelligence, researchers say, the smartest children appear to have brains that develop later.
A late bloomer is a person who fulfills their potential later than expected; they often have talents that aren't visible to others initially. The key word here is expected. And they fulfill their potential frequently in novel and unexpected ways, surprising even those closest to them.
The term "late-bloomer" may refer to such an individual who develops serious intellectual interests in their 20s or 30s and enrolls in college, where he or she performs particularly well and subsequently establishes a professional career.
The data from the studies are clear: Late bloomers are rare; skill deficits are almost always what prevent children from blooming as readers.
Early bloomers may start to notice changes in their bodies as early as age 10, whereas late bloomers may start at age 14. Of course, these changes could easily fall anywhere in between. Those who started on the later side, can expect to keep reaching new heights until the age of 18.
Ray Kroc was 52 when he met the McDonald brothers and opened his first franchise. He bought the company when he was 59. Mario Puzo wrote The Godfather when he was 45. It was published 4 years later.
The Six Strengths of Late Bloomers: Curiosity, Compassion, Resilience, Equanimity, Insight, and Wisdom.
The construct of late bloomers is not only outdated, but can also be toxic to those who do succeed later in life, after the age they're 'supposed' to reach a milestone. Such people may struggle with feelings of failure, negative self-comparison to others, and even the sense that they've been forgotten or left behind.
I would say that late bloomers can grow up to the age 20. But they're rate will slow down as of the age of 17. During the first year you'll grow 3-5 inches and then you'll have another growth spurt at the age of 15 and then yiur growth will slow down at around 16-17 years of age .
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), late talkers are toddlers (18 to 30 months old) who have a limited vocabulary for their age, but do not have any other developmental delays. Some late talkers may talk by three to five years of age. These toddlers are called late bloomers.
The advantage of being a late bloomer is that by the time success strikes, you've got your bearings about you. You know where you're going. You take success for what it is without getting turned in circles so easily. By that point, you've spent enough time outside that you can read the stars.
Moreover, late bloomers enjoy hidden strengths because they take their time to discover their way in life—strengths coveted by many employers and partners—including curiosity, insight, compassion, resilience, and wisdom.
Long term impact of being a late bloomer
For most kids, late blooming is really being on the later end of normal. Again, none of us should minimize how this feels socially or psychologically. But for the few who qualify as truly late, which amounts to about 2.5% of all kids, the long term consequences vary by gender.
Family History. Most often, it's simply a pattern of growth and development in a family. A guy or girl may find that his or her parent, uncle, aunt, brothers, sisters, or cousins developed later than usual, too. This is called constitutional delay (or being a late bloomer), and it usually doesn't need treatment.
Late bloomers also learn resilience.
It's why late bloomers are often happier and more successful than their peers who enjoyed early success. Later in life, early achievers find out that things don't always go their way, and they aren't prepared for that struggle.
Causes. In most cases, delayed puberty is simply a matter of growth changes beginning later than usual, sometimes called late bloomer. Once puberty begins, it progresses normally. This is called constitutional delayed puberty, and it runs in families.
So remember, being a late bloomer isn't a bad thing. Everybody is different, following their own path. If your path has a few more detours or a slower speed than others' paths, no worries. You'll get “there” when the time is right.
During puberty, boys and girls will have a growth spurt and grow to their adult height. So that means girls who start puberty the latest will still be getting taller in their mid-teens. For boys, the latest to reach puberty will still be getting taller into their late teens.
Teens who have constitutional growth delay grow at a normal rate when they're younger, but they lag behind and don't start their pubertal development and their growth spurt until after most of their peers. People who have constitutional growth delay are often referred to as "late bloomers."