Eight ways to spot if you have a gifted child
For Theo (Teddy) Hobbs, now the UK’s youngest member of Mensa, it was teaching himself to count in Mandarin aged three that was the giveaway. That or the fact that his parents say he likes to relax with a word search.
For Isla McNabb from Kentucky, then aged two, it was the colourful alphabet blocks left to read ‘sofa,’ ‘TV’ and ‘cat’, next to the corresponding objects, which alerted her parents to the fact she had learnt to read and write. Isla went on to become the world’s youngest member of the exclusive high-IQ club.
Teddy and Isla are what professionals would describe as “gifted” children with “high learning potential” – unofficially, child geniuses. Now, you might be looking at your own offspring and wondering: could they be the next mini member of Mensa?
There has been an increase in children and young people joining the society for the world’s most intelligent people. The number of under-11s rose from 195 to 320 between 2014 and 2019, and the number of under-18s has risen from 1,345 to 1,600 members. It is open to anyone who has an IQ that measures in the top two per cent of the population.
Mensa doesn’t provide tests for those under 10 and a half. Younger children can still be admitted to the club based on an independent assessment. But what are the signs that you’re dealing with “high learning potential”? Here are eight clues your child is a genius, according to Lyn Kendall, the gifted-child consultant at British Mensa.
1. A high IQ
The most obvious metric. A ‘gifted’ child is normally identified as having a cognitive ability or IQ in the top five per cent of the population. The only way to reliably calculate IQ is through a supervised Mensa test (if your child is over 10 and a half) or via an assessment with an educational psychologist (if they are under 10 and a half).
2. An unusual memory
Children with high learning potential might demonstrate an ability to memorise words, numbers and places from an unusually early age. “One of the main [signs] of a potentially high IQ is an excellent memory,” says Kendall. “It can just be remembering facts and road signs and that sort of thing. But it can also be a memory of occasions – saying, “We’ve been here before, haven’t we?” – or memory of conversations they weren’t supposed to be listening in to… which they then quote back to you.”
3. Passing intellectual milestones early
They might understand what you are saying to them even before they can speak back, or start reading early. Kendall’s son Chris, himself a gifted child who joined Mensa aged seven, was reading Enid Blyton aged three and Charles Dickens aged four. “The librarian was running out, like in [Roald Dahl’s] Matilda,” she says. It doesn’t have to be books – you may find your toddler points out signs or recognises words without formal teaching. Or they may express an interest in learning to read before school-age.
4. A quick learner
Among other things, this could manifest in an aptitude for languages. Teddy, the UK’s youngest Mensa member, had taught himself to count to 100 in seven languages before the age of three. Another client of Kendall’s was teaching himself Russian as a toddler. If your child is an impressively young auto-didact or has an extensive vocabulary, they could have high learning potential.
5. Unusual hobbies or interests
As above, this could be a preference for learning Russian over watching Peppa Pig, or any particular fascination with a subject that seems beyond their years.
6. High anxiety levels
Gifted children may have a propensity for anxiety and express an awareness or concern about world events that is unusual for someone their age. “It’s what we know in adults as overthinking,” says Kendall. “They can understand [things], but because they’re the age they are they don’t have the emotional maturity to cope with it. So they tend to have very high anxiety levels.”
7. They prefer the company of adults
Highly gifted children may struggle to make friends with their peers and prefer being alone or spending time with adults. Kendall’s son Chris once said: “Mummy, they can’t speak in sentences, they don’t know their colours; what do I talk to them about?” on being picked up from preschool. Later on, he could be found having a cup of tea with the parents and “setting the world to rights” at birthday parties.
8. Surprisingly, they might not like school
Sending an especially gifted child to school is akin to sending a “square peg,” Kendall says, and they may not fit neatly into the educational system. Often “[schools] don’t know what to do with these children,” and, as a result, they may be bored, disruptive, or struggle socially. So, while you might assume that a child genius is a high achiever, this isn’t always the case.
Lyn Kendall and Chris Allcock are the authors of A Brilliant IQ: Gift Or Challenge? More information about Mensa membership is available at mensa.org.uk
