Many profoundly gifted students are likely misdiagnosed with autism, whilst many autistic children are likely undiagnosed as gifted. Given the incredibly complex, and similar, nature of both giftedness and autism, the diagnosis itself is rather unimportant.
Giftedness can lead to misdiagnosis
Children who are gifted may have behaviors that look like ADHD or autism. “One of the things we know about gifted children almost universally is that they are intense,” says psychologist James T. Webb, who specializes in them.
Once you dive deeper, you can see there are some important differences. For example, a gifted child may present an extensive and advanced vocabulary with a rich verbal style. A child on the autism spectrum may have an advanced use of vocabulary, but they may not have full comprehension of the language they use.
The most common mis-diagnoses are: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (OD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Mood Disorders such as Cyclothymic Disorder, Dysthymic Disorder, Depression, and Bi-Polar Disorder.
An autistic person who's also gifted is considered “twice exceptional” (2e). Giftedness and autism are types of exceptionalities. When children are both intellectually gifted and have a neurobiological difference, motor skills issue, or learning disability, they're 2e kids.
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.
Signs of Giftedness in Children Include:
an ability to learn and process complex information rapidly. a need to explore subjects in surprising depth. an insatiable curiosity, as demonstrated by endless questions and inquiries. ability to comprehend material several grade levels above their age peers.
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.
According to clinical records, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and learning disabilities are the three diagnoses most often reported in comorbidity with giftedness [9, 10].
The two primary types of tests for gifted children are IQ tests and achievement tests. Both types of tests have pros and cons. A combination of both IQ tests and achievement tests is often required for admission to a gifted program.
Formal identification of gifted children
If you think your child might be gifted, you can see an educational psychologist for an IQ test and a report on your child's advanced learning. This report is likely to focus mostly on academic learning but often includes notes about social and emotional gifts too.
If you believe you or your child has been misdiagnosed with autism, it's important to discuss it with a doctor, your child's pediatrician, or a mental health professional. You can let your doctor know why you believe a misdiagnosis has occurred and what you think the symptoms may actually point to.
If someone has been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and notices that their anxiety stems from unpredictable conversations or difficulty picking up body language and voice tone, the anxiety might be secondary to autism.
About 1 in 44 children will receive an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. And with so much prevalence, it makes sense that parents might feel concerned, especially if their child does not appear to be hitting developmental milestones at the same rate as their peers.
The eagerness in repeating the same task multiple times is not the characteristic of the gifted child.
Gifted trauma stems from childhood issues with feeling like you don't belong anywhere because of your gift. Bullying, starving for mental stimulation, school mismatch, and other issues specific to the life experience of the gifted child may also contribute both to the main mental health issue and gift-specific trauma.
Gifted children may be under-stimulated or bored in typical social or education settings, [which] may result in behavior challenges like school refusal, tantrums, distractibility, or general acting out.
Signs your kid may be gifted
Keen observation, curiosity and tendency to ask questions. Ability to think abstractly, while showing signs of creativity and inventiveness. Early development of motor skills (e.g., balance, coordination and movement). Finds joy in discovering new interests or grasping new concepts.
Giftedness falls into one or more of the following areas: intellectual, academic, creative, artistic and leadership.
The research shows that while children are born with the potential to be gifted, the environment and nurture plays an important role in developing those innate abilities. In fact, researchers estimate conservatively that environmental influences can add 20-40 points on measured intelligence.
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.
Some gifted kids like to talk a lot. They love to share their knowledge with others. They are highly verbal, and may possess an advanced vocabulary for their age. When talking to students, pay attention to not only how much they talk but also to the vocabulary used in daily conversation.
Characteristics of Profoundly Gifted Children
Ability to comprehend material several grade levels above their age peers. Surprising emotional depth and sensitivity at a young age. Strong sense of curiosity. Enthusiastic about unique interests and topics.