Though the term “gifted” was first coined by educator Leta Hollingworth in 1922, this condition remains profoundly misunderstood. Parents, educators, and even some medical professionals rely heavily on intellectual aptitudes to identify gifted children, without considering the many social and emotional aspects of giftedness. This approach leaves many gifted kids vulnerable to being misdiagnosed with behavioural or developmental disorders.
Not only does being misdiagnosed deprive gifted kids of the educational opportunities they need to excel, it can cause them to focus heavily on their weaknesses instead of their strengths. This sets the stage for emotional difficulties, such as anxiety and poor self-esteem, that may eventually lead to genuine behavioural issues. If you suspect your child is gifted, securing a correct diagnosis is essential to supporting his social, emotional, and intellectual development.
Why Are Gifted Kids Frequently Misdiagnosed?
When most people hear the word “gifted,” they imagine a typical high achiever: A child who strongly outperforms his peers at school, and who consistently demonstrates a level of maturity and insight far beyond his years. However, while it’s true that gifted kids often have exceptional abilities, this condition is better understood as a pattern of asynchronous development. Many gifted kids have average or delayed social, emotional, and motor development, while simultaneously having advanced intellectual capabilities (which may or may not be evident in the classroom). In some cases, one or more of their executive functioning skills (e.g., planning, organization, or paying attention) may not develop in alignment with their overall IQ. In combination with the highly sensitive, intense, and restless nature that often accompanies giftedness, these asynchronicities can mimic the appearance of multiple well-known disorders.
Situational factors also play a role in misdiagnosis: Because gifted kids spend, on average, one-fourth to one-half of their classroom time waiting for other kids to “catch up,” they often become bored and disruptive at school. (In many cases, this leads to underachievement, which further masks their high intelligence.) Their need to question the status quo and their strong sense of social justice can also be misread as difficult or defiant behaviour, and they frequently struggle to get along with their non-gifted peers; all of these traits increase their risk of being seen as disordered.
Is Your Child Gifted or “Twice Exceptional”?
The fact that gifted kids are frequently misdiagnosed does not negate the reality that a certain percentage of them do genuinely experience learning disabilities, developmental disorders, and behavioural issues. It’s entirely possible for a gifted child to have ADHD, be on the Autism Spectrum, or struggle with dyslexia or dyscalculia, for example. Kids who fall into the category of being both challenged and intellectually gifted are often referred to as being “twice exceptional.”
If your child is twice exceptional, his diagnosis may be incomplete rather than incorrect. Twice exceptional children face a significant risk of having their giftedness overlooked altogether, because their difficulties interfere with their ability to express their full potential. In some cases, these kids aren’t recognized as being either gifted or learning disabled, because their high intelligence allows them to compensate for their disability to a certain degree. They may appear to be average students until they reach middle school or high school, at which point they often begin to struggle. If you see that your gifted child is struggling academically, a comprehensive psychoeducational assessment may help identify the presence of hidden learning disabilities..
Exploring Common Misdiagnoses Applied to Gifted Kids
Though only a mental health professional can clarify your child’s diagnosis, understanding which conditions gifted kids are most frequently misdiagnosed with - and why - can help you determine if you need to have your child reassessed. There are also specific signs parents should look out for, as they can indicate the difference between a child being truly misdiagnosed or being twice-exceptional.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD is a relatively common neurodevelopmental disorder, affecting up to 8.4 percent of children. It’s characterized by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity; it also frequently causes problems with emotional regulation and working memory. As a result, kids with ADHD may appear distracted and disorganized, find it almost impossible to sit still, and be prone to displays of strong emotion.
Gifted kids are misdiagnosed with ADHD more than any other disorder because their traits of intensity, high energy, and impatience resemble the hallmark signs of ADHD. Gifted kids can also seem distracted at school due to boredom or their tendency to “hyperfocus” on specific interests. (It’s not unusual for gifted kids to become so preoccupied with a particular hobby or area of study that they find it hard to pay attention to anything else.)
When trying to distinguish giftedness from ADHD, it’s important to remember that the symptoms of ADHD are chronic and consistent. A child with this condition will have difficulty paying attention, controlling his impulses, and staying organized regardless of whether he’s at home or at school. Most misdiagnosed gifted kids, by contrast, will show a pattern of being inattentive or disorganized at school while being highly focused at home. Gifted kids, unlike kids with ADHD, have no difficulty completing complex projects on their own (and will often do so of their own volition), but they become frustrated, impatient, and inattentive in environments that don’t provide them with adequate mental stimulation. Similarly, gifted children tend to engage in fewer inappropriate behaviours when they’re allowed to socialize with other highly intelligent kids. Kids with ADHD, on the other hand, struggle to control their inappropriate behaviour regardless of the makeup of their peer group.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Gifted kids are notoriously opinionated and strong-willed; when they’re passionate about an issue, they’ll debate it with heated intensity. Though these kids don’t mean to come across as confrontational, educators and other authority figures can misread this kind of behaviour as being oppositional. Parents may also tire of their gifted child’s need to constantly question the rules, even though their child is doing so in the pursuit of fairness.
Still, though the stubborn traits of gifted kids can be tiring for adults, it’s essential to avoid confusing them for ODD. ODD is a serious condition marked by severe behavioural disturbances, including persistent and extreme hostility towards authority figures, repeated attempts to provoke conflict, unwillingness to follow reasonable rules, and a pattern of vindictiveness.
Gifted kids can accept rules, provided that their questions about the fairness and necessity of those rules are answered in a way that satisfies them. A child with ODD, on the other hand, will not readily respond to this type of collaborative reasoning. Likewise, while gifted kids may act out, they typically begin doing so after age six (in response to adverse experiences, like boredom, bullying, or feeling misunderstood). Kids with ODD begin showing signs of defiance and hostility at a much younger age - sometimes as early as age three - and their behaviour often has no clear cause. Their outbursts also tend to be more frequent and explosive.
Mood Disorders
Mood disorders, like depression and bipolar disorder, are rare in children; most people who develop a mood disorder don’t start showing symptoms until they reach adolescence or early adulthood. (Kessler et al, 2001) If your child appears to be highly intellectually capable and he’s received one of these diagnoses, there’s a distinct possibility that his natural sensitivity has been mistaken for a mood disorder.
Though experts are divided on whether or not gifted kids have a higher risk of clinical depression than non-gifted kids (Jackson, S. & Peterson, J., 2003), it’s well-known that they experience heightened emotions, which can lead to mood swings. Likewise, many gifted kids go through a period of “existential depression” as a result of feeling alienated from those around them and feeling helpless to address the amount of unfairness they observe in the world.
Existential depression is not the same as clinical depression, and it can usually be resolved with support (both at home and in the form of professional therapy). However, if it’s not addressed properly, existential depression may increase your child’s risk for developing true depression. Signs that a child is experiencing clinical depression include changes in eating or sleeping habits, loss of interest in hobbies, social withdrawal, and regularly expressing feelings of hopelessness and futility.
Parents of gifted children should also be aware that, unlike depression and bipolar disorder, chronic anxiety does seem to be more prevalent in gifted kids. In addition to being highly analytical (and therefore more likely to “overthink” situations), gifted kids are sensitive, self-critical, and prone to perfectionism. Some gifted children also experience heightened anxiety as a result of their broad capacity for empathy. They may worry excessively about the feelings and problems of others, and exaggerate the potential consequences of conflict.
If your child has been diagnosed with anxiety, it’s worthwhile to also have his intelligence assessed. Conversely, if you know your child is gifted, you should regularly monitor his anxiety levels to detect problems early.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Along with ADHD, OCD is one of the most common misdiagnoses applied to gifted kids. From a very young age, many exceptionally bright children enjoy organizing activities and the people around them. They frequently develop complex rules and systems that other children struggle to understand and may be rigid about their preferences. Gifted kids also need more structure and routine than non-gifted children, in part to help them manage their anxiety and intense emotions.
The normal behaviours of gifted children can be very difficult to distinguish from true OCD, particularly because many kids can’t articulate why they’re engaging in obsessive-compulsive behaviour. As such, you’ll need to work with a psychiatrist who understands both conditions to get a clear picture of your child’s situation.
What Should You Do if You Think Your Child has Been Misdiagnosed?
Though most schools screen children for giftedness in grade three, not all gifted children are identified by this screening process. If you suspect your child is highly intelligent, you can start by taking an online evaluation to see if your child is gifted. It gives you a good indication whether to spend money on the formal gifted assessment. Discuss your child’s current diagnosis, including any assessments your child has completed in the past, and let the psychologist know why you’re concerned about the possibility of misdiagnosis.
