The intellectual precocity in children

Contrary to what many people believe, to be intellectually precocious or gifted does not mean to be smarter than others, but "to function with a different way of thinking, with a different structure of reasoning. The intelligence of the gifted child is atypical."

Jeanne-Siaud Facchin, clinical psychologist, specializing in gifted people in "The Over-Gifted Child, Helping them to grow up, help them to succeed", Odile Jacob, 9/2002 ", ISBN 2-7381-1159-9

How do I know if my child is intellectually precocious?

The only way to know if a child is intellectually precocious or not is to have it sit through a IQ test administered by a professional.

There are many different tests, the good choice depends mostly on the age of the child.

The earlier the precocity is detected, the better. Indeed, precocity which has not been identified as such can lead the child to difficulties with parents, teachers and other children.

Schooling of gifted children

Statistically, if 1/3 of gifted children have no problems, 2/3 can meet more or less serious academic and social difficulties due to:

• a difference in behavior with children of their age,
• incomprehension by adults, professionals and parents,
• often a negative self-image,
• a gap between the pace of personal development of the child and the pace set by the school system,
• a school system which is unsuitable to the functioning of the brain of the child,
• sometimes a delay in psychomotor and graphomotor development

The child may react with boredom, disinterest in school, passivity, and sometimes revolt.

Skipping a grade is one of the solutions offered to gifted children. It has the advantage of reducing the problem of boredom which is often the cause of disciplinary problems.

Since 2009, the Luxembourg primary school system (LINK TO THE SITE), organized in teaching cycles, allows to adjust to the progressing speed capabilities of the child. Indeed, each cycle normally lasts two years, but a student may, in exceptional cases, take a cycle in one year.

Moreover, there are special schools for gifted children abroad (link to page useful addresses, schools section).

Emotional and social problems possible

As Jeanne-Siaud Facchin said, "to be gifted (...) is also growing up with hypersensitivity, intrusive emotions that mark the personality."

The intellectually precocious child has a heightened sensory perception ("hypersensitivity") often paired with an extreme sensitivity. It is "equipped with multiple sensors permanently connected to its surroundings" and shows an "amazing ability to feel with great finesse the emotional state of others."

"A true sponge, the gifted child has always been literally assailed by the emotions, sensations, and multiple pieces of information so much that it is often difficult for him to live, to integrate and to develop."

"This hypersensitivity is both an asset, due to the fine perceptual environment that it allows, but also a source of suffering and emotional hurt."

Thus the gifted children may experience emotional and social problems (social adjustment problems, depression, eating disorders, school phobia, etc..).

You may find more information about the associated problems (www.douance.be/douance-troubles-accueil.htm) on the site of the douance.be asbl.

What should I do to help them?

Here are some tips to help your child:

• identify the precocity of your child,
• explain its particularity (indeed, the gifted child need to be aware of its difference to be able to accept it. Moreover, for a child that has failed or is suffering, this gives him back self-confidence and allows him to bounce back),
• accept its peculiarities,
• trust him, give him confidence, a sense of value,
• help him to benefit in his school from a differentiated instructional approach that respects his differences of thinking,
• offer him extra-curricular activities that are suitable to his capacity,
• let him meet other gifted children,
• support his development.

Mensa Kids has been created in 2010 through the initiative of a group of parents of gifted children.

The parents (and sometimes the teaching staff too) found that certain children acted/reacted differently than their classmates and wanted to find out why this was the case. This can have many causes, for example the kid may be intellectually gifted. For those children for which the cause is indeed intellectual giftedness, it is of inestimable value to meet other children who are in a similar situation.

MensaKids would like to offer you an interactive platform for co-operation. We would also like to offer IQ tests for children, parent meetings, lectures or discussion groups with interested and/or affected parties, teaching staff, psychologists, etc. At these meetings, parents can also benefit from the experiences of other parents.

Because HP children benefit from the contact with other HP children, the idea is that every few weeks a meeting or other activities such as workshops, visits, guided tours are organised by parents, grandparents, animators, educators, students, members and/or other people who enjoy working with children.

This means: You can organise something, send us an "invitation" (or you provide us with the necessary information and we write the invitation), which we then pass on to the MensaKids mailing list.

If there is no external animator, the children are usually accompanied by both parents or one parent.

If, for example, there is an entrance fee to pay, Mensa usually covers part of it, but only for members.

If a room is needed, our secretary can ask our municipality.

Your ideas and suggestions are welcome!

You can reach us at the e-mail address mensakids@mensa.lu.

MensaKids ist im Jahre 2010 durch die Initiative einer Gruppe Eltern von hochbegabten Kindern entstanden.

Jene Eltern (manchmal auch das Lehrpersonal) stellten fest, dass verschiedene Kinder anders agierten oder reagierten als ihre Klassenkameraden und wollten herausfinden weshalb das so ist. Dies kann viele Ursachen haben, und es kann z.B. eine Hochbegabung vorliegen. Für diejenigen Kinder, bei denen tatsächlich eine Hochbegabung vorliegt, ist es von unschätzbarer Wert, andere Kinder kennenzulernen, welche in der gleichen Lage sind.

MensaKids möchte Ihnen eine interaktive Plattform zur Zusammenarbeit anbieten. Hierzu möchten wir auch IQ-Tests für Kinder, Elterntreffen, Vorträge oder Diskussionsrunden mit Interessierten und/oder Betroffenen, Lehrpersonal, Psychologen usw anbieten. Bei diesen Treffen dürfen auch die Eltern aus den Erfahrungen der anderen Eltern Nutzen ziehen.

Weil HP-Kinder vom Kontakt mit anderen HP-Kindern profitieren ist die Idee dass alle paar Wochen ein Treffen, oder auch andere Aktivitäten wie Workshops, Besichtigungen, Führungen organisiert werden von Eltern, Großeltern, Moderatoren, Pädagogen, Studenten, Mitgliedern und/order sonstigen Leuten die gerne mit Kindern arbeiten.

Das heißt: Sie dürfen etwas organisieren, uns eine "Einladung" zusenden (oder Sie liefern uns die nötigen Informationen und wir verfassen die Einladung), die wir dann an die Mailing-Liste MensaKids weitergeben.

Falls kein auswärtiger Moderator dabei ist, werden die Kinder normalerweise von beiden Eltern oder einem Elternteil begleitet.

Falls z.B. Eintritt zu zahlen ist, übernimmt Mensa meistens ein Teil hiervon, aber nur für die Mitglieder.

Falls ein Raum gebraucht wird, kann unser Sekretär bei unserer Gemeinde fragen.

Ihre Ideen und Vorschläge sind willkommen

Sie können uns über die Email Adresse mensakids@mensa.lu erreichen.

MENSA KIDS AND FAMILY SIG regularly organizes:

• parents' meetings
• lectures
• activities for children / families (excursions, tours, workshops, …)

Future events :

(other activities, like discussion forums for parents, games afternoons for children, etc., as well as details concerning already announced events will be published along with their planning)