Does Lack Of Social Skills Indicate Your Child May Be A Genius?

The term “genius” stands for someone with extraordinary intellectual capability. Psychologists first used intelligence quotient (IQ) as a metric to define a genius in the early 1900s. At that time, the threshold level for being categorized as a genius was 140. Over time, that threshold was revised to 180. 

Intelligent or gifted children often display a lack of social skills and tend to be introverted. Introverts, unfortunately, face many challenges. These include being judged for being different or quiet. Introverts are often pushed to come out of their shells to fit into society’s norms of what is acceptable. 

Gifted children are often intelligent and capable of mastering skills, such as counting, reading, and writing, ahead of time. These skills may appear rather rudimentary to them. They will generally have a wide vocabulary and the ability to communicate like adults. If talented children feel they aren’t challenged enough, they tend to become disillusioned due to boredom with the specific assignment.

 Struggles Gifted Children Face:

The social struggles that gifted children face are not because they are inept in social situations. This observation is a far cry from reality. The society is incapable of accepting behavior patterns of gifted children as it diverges from the norm. 

Gifted children possess interests that deviate from that of the majority. This attribute makes them stick out like the proverbial sore thumb, resulting in their peers ignoring them.

Gifted students may be unaware that they are coming across as arrogant know-it-alls when discussing a topic that piques their interest rather animatedly. The reality is that they are not attempting to show off, rather, they are being themselves.  As gifted children grow older, they realize their conversations and interests are too intricate for their classmates, and they comprehend the need to “dumb down” to fit in with their peers.  

Even adults who interact with these gifted kids can get testy when dealing with their intelligence. They assume that the child is being disrespectful. Often, the child may attempt to correct the teacher, which doesn’t go down well. So these brilliant children, instead of being nurtured, are snubbed by both their peers and adults. These ‘offended’ adults may even choose to retaliate, further inhibiting the growth of the gifted individual.

Signs That Your Child is a Genius: 

There is a multitude of ways to identify the signs that your child is a genius. Just like a person’s traits, their brains too are wired uniquely, and the people who possess attributes of a genius display them differently.

There is no official checklist to tick off while examining the signs of an individual with a high IQ. Some signs that turn up are:

• Need for constant mental stimulation and engagement
• Ability to assimilate new topics rapidly
• Display keenness to delve deep into topics 
• Insatiable curiosity
• Learning capacity ahead of their peers and grade level
• Display of emotional depth and sensitivity
• Unique topics excite them 
• Having a unique sense of humor
• An imaginative approach to finding solutions to problems
• Quick learner
• More aware than other kids of situations with wider ramifications – for example, global issues

If your child seems socially isolated, intervention may be required. Extended periods of isolation from peers will result in low self-esteem. Even intelligent individuals need social interaction periodically. A lack of opportunities for interaction could be resolved by identifying local or school-based clubs for similarly gifted peers.

It is important that your gifted child embraces and acknowledges that a healthy semblance of social life, even if it is restricted to a few good friends, is very much on the cards.