The gifted child: joy or unhappiness?

Key words: Intelligent; Gifted child, Autism spectrum, Psychological symptoms

The giftedness is a non-pathological condition for which there is no clear definition. Although the giftedness cannot be indicated by a single value obtained from the tests, consistently with the statistic values obtained from the WISC-IV test, it is estimated that this condition could characterize about 2% of the population in childhood and adolescence. In addition to this value​​ obtained from psychometric tests, to characterize intellectual surplus, other factors must be considered: specific cognitive skills and abilities, personal commitment, motivation, context of life and characterial characteristics. The main clinical pictures that can be associated to giftedness are: learning disabilities attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum and psychological symptoms (internalizing and externalizing behavioural problems). To improve the understanding and treatment of these disorders and symptoms, it is appropriate to research the condition of giftedness. However, the obstinate research for a high cognitive potential could trigger relationship problems, mainly in the family environment, such as exposing the gifted child to conditions of greater vulnerability and psycological risk.