An evaluation of cognitive abilities, which includes assessing for intellectual giftedness, includes a standardized measure of intelligence. This assessment identifies if a child is intellectually, gifted and helps to inform educational planning.

Common signs of intellectual giftedness:

• Learns new ideas very quickly and often needs little repetition

• Understands complex or abstract concepts earlier than peers

• Makes sophisticated connections between ideas

• Notices patterns, rules, and inconsistencies others miss

• Enjoys problem-solving and reasoning more than rote work

• Gets bored or frustrated with repetitive or slow-paced instruction

Language & Communication

• Early talker or unusually precise vocabulary

• Uses complex sentence structures or advanced humor

• Asks deep, thoughtful questions (not just “what,” but “why” and “what if”)

• Enjoys explaining ideas in detail

• Strong listening comprehension, often above grade level

Curiosity & Interests

• Intense curiosity; wants to understand how things work

• Deep focus on specific interests (sometimes described as “passions”)

• Seeks adult-level information or materials in areas of interest

• May correct adults or peers when something seems inaccurate

Memory & Attention

• Strong memory, especially for meaningful information

• Remembers details from books, conversations, or experiences

• Can hyperfocus on preferred tasks

• May appear inattentive when work is too easy or unengaging

Creativity & Imagination

• Original ideas or unusual problem-solving approaches

• Enjoys inventing, designing, storytelling, or imaginative play

• Sees multiple solutions rather than one ‘right’ answer

• Flexible, divergent thinking

Social & Emotional Characteristics

• Heightened emotional sensitivity or intensity

• Strong sense of fairness, justice, or empathy

• Perfectionism or fear of making mistakes

• Asks big questions about life, death, morality, or the universe

• May prefer older children or adults

• Can feel “different” from peers

Asynchronous Development (Very Common)

• Intellectual abilities may be far ahead of:

  • Emotional regulation

  • Executive functioning

  • Fine-motor or writing skills