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Asynchronous Development in GT Kids

Asynchronous development is when a person’s brain development is out of sync with their age-peers; the greater the growth, the greater the disparity. Current measures of intelligence simply do not account for these differences. Recent developments in neuroscience are helping professionals to gain a better understanding of how intelligence affects individuals. Asynchronous development in our twice-exceptional population can be an even greater issue. When weaknesses interfere with being able to demonstrate intellectual abilities, frustration can be overwhelming.
Asynchronous development is very noticeable in younger children. They may have a profound understanding of outcomes and consequences to actions without the ability to act on that understanding. Changes brought by the outbreak of coronavirus have highlighted the stark differences in how asynchronous development affects children’s outlook about its effects both personally and globally. Asynchronous development can present as a child achieving at levels far beyond what’s expected for their age while exhibiting a maturity level closer to their chronological age.
Why is it important to understand asynchronous development in gifted students? It can manifest in many different ways in which others may misinterpret. This can lead adults to view a gifted child’s behavior as inappropriate and to assign negative terms such as ‘little lawyer’ or ‘absent minded professor’. When asynchronous development leads to misidentification or a lack of understanding about a gifted child’s development, it results in ensuing issues not be correctly addressed. This can lead to increased stress for the student. As brain development continues into a person’s 30’s, gifted individuals can find it a challenge to be productive and successful when there is a disconnect between ability, functioning and talents. (Tetreault 2019)
What strategies can teachers use to assist students who display asynchronous development? Any strategy should begin with acknowledgment of asynchronous development followed by professional development to learn about characteristics and identification. Initially, strategies should identify strengths and differences, accommodations, and provide opportunities that appropriately challenge the student. One of the best strategies is the use of various forms of acceleration which allows the student to engage with academic peers.
Parents should have an honest discussion about asynchronous development with their child taking into consideration their level of maturity. Together, they can explore strategies to the challenges such as mindfulness and self-advocacy. It’s important that parents seek out peer groups who share their child’s interests and abilities. Also, make an effort to connect with other parents who are in a similar position for support. Parents can also provide information to schools and teachers about asynchronous development and advocate for appropriate educational opportunities.
Many organizations provide online information including NAGC (US), PPUK (UK), NZ Centre for Gifted Education (NZ), SENG, and IEA Gifted (US). Books such as Off the Charts (Tolan et al) and the upcoming Insight Into a Bright Mind: A Neuroscientist’s Personal Stories of Unique Thinking (Tetreault) provide valuable information for both parents and teachers. Be sure to check out the resources below.
A transcript of this page can be found at Wakelet.

Global #gtchat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is a weekly chat on Twitter. Join us Thursdays at 8E/7C/6M/5P in the U.S. and Fridays at 2PM NZDT/Noon AEDT/Midnight UK to discuss current topics in the gifted community and meet experts in the field. Transcripts of our weekly chats can be found at Wakelet. Our Facebook Page provides information on the chat and news and information regarding the gifted community. Also, checkout our Pinterest Page and Playlist on YouTube.
About the author: Lisa Conrad is the Moderator of Global #gtchat Powered by TAGT and Social Media Manager of the Global #gtchat Community. She is a longtime advocate for gifted children and also blogs at Gifted Parenting Support. Lisa can be contacted at: gtchatmod@gmail.com
Resources:
Asynchronous Development | NAGC
Asynchronous Development TIP Sheet | NAGC
Off the Charts: Asynchrony and the Gifted Child (book) | Tolan
Asynchronous Development in Children
Asynchronous Development | SENG
Asynchronous or Uneven Development | The Amend Group
Leaving Behind Normalcy: Asynchrony and the Gifted Child | IEA
Guiding the Gifted Advanced Academics (pdf) | Austin ISD
Asynchronous Development | Potential Plus UK
How Can We Better Understand, Identify, and Support Highly Gifted and Profoundly Gifted Students? | Annals of Cognitive Science
School Counsellors’ Perceptions of Working with Gifted Students (pdf) | South African Journal of Education
Advanced Developmental Milestones of Gifted Students across Domains (Preview)
How to Support a Gifted Child | International School Parent
How to Help Gifted Children Who Need Foundational Skills
Gifted isn’t Better; It’s Different | Maine School Administrative District #6
Meeting Gifted Learners’ Needs
Consequences of Risk Factors in the Development of Gifted Children | Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences
Balancing Academic Success with Social Challenges
Taxonomy of Affective Curriculum for Gifted Learners: A Framework for Providing Social–Emotional Learning to Gifted Children | Research Outreach
3 Keys to Educating Gifted Students | Chicago Parent
It’s Time to Get Real about Gifted Kids (Medium) | Dr. Gail Post
Giftedness – Asynchronous Development and Existential Questions (Podcast 34:59) | The International Gifted Consortium (IGC) Research Center for the Highly-Profoundly Gifted
Giftedness in Young Children: What Do Parents and Teachers Know? (pdf) | University of Mary Washington Eagle Scholar
Optimizing Asynchronous Development
Neuroscience of Asynchronous Development in Bright Minds (Tetreault)
Cybraryman’s Asynchronous Development Page
Photo courtesy of Pixabay Pixabay License
Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad
Sibling Rivalry in Gifted Families
ALL children need to feel valued regardless of ability. It is a delicate balancing act. Parents must often be there for siblings when one is identified for a particular gifted program and another one is not. Gifted rivalry is not accidental. It’s important to realize intentions and counseling siblings is an important parental responsibility. It can extend to the selection of colleges, participation in academic competitions and affect acceleration decisions.
What role does ‘asynchronous development’ play in gifted sibling rivalry? It can dramatically change a child’s place in the family; such as when a younger child surpasses an older sibling academically (think Young Sheldon). This can affect decisions about acceleration. Asynchronous development can ultimately cause excessive stress on parents who themselves may not be able to ‘keep up’ with their child’s intellectual progress. Younger children who are profoundly gifted may be confused or feel constrained by what they can do socially because of their chronological age.
To minimize sibling rivalries, parents can avoid comparisons, emphasize strengths, reminding child of their uniqueness, and not give more privileges to one child over the other. Furthermore, they can be minimized by not assuming that problems will arise, teaching ‘fair’ doesn’t mean equal, and remembering that not all strengths and talents are either academics or sports. Parents can try their best to spend quality time with each child; providing companionship and time alone with each one.
What can parents do to build positive and cooperative relationships in the gifted family? They can value their child’s point of view as a way to encourage cooperation and value the strengths and weaknesses of each child while acknowledging their differences.
Schools can offer resources to parents of gifted children with mixed abilities. They can suggest parents utilize school guidance counselors and enlist a favorite teacher when necessary to encourage a student to model good behavior at home. Finally, schools should maintain a positive parent-school relationship by offering resources to parents such as providing opportunities for gifted children to explore interests and passions. A transcript may be found at Wakelet.
Global #gtchat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is a weekly chat on Twitter. Join us Thursdays at 8E/7C/6M/5P in the U.S. and Fridays at Noon NZST/10 AM AEST/1 AM UK to discuss current topics in the gifted community and meet experts in the field. Transcripts of our weekly chats can be found at Wakelet. Our Facebook Page provides information on the chat and news and information regarding the gifted community. Also, checkout our Pinterest Page and Playlist on YouTube.
About the author: Lisa Conrad is the Moderator of Global #gtchat Powered by TAGT and Social Media Manager of the Global #gtchat Community. She is a longtime advocate for gifted children and also blogs at Gifted Parenting Support. Lisa can be contacted at: gtchatmod@gmail.com
Links:
When One Child Is Gifted: Avoiding Sibling Rivalry
How Gifted Children Impact the Family
A Gifted Child Increases Sibling Rivalry, Study Finds
The Effects of Sibling Competition
Comparing Gifted and Non-Gifted Sibling Perceptions of Family Relations (pdf 1982)
Gifted and Non-Gifted Siblings: How Conventional Wisdom is Wrong
The Social World of Gifted Children and Youth (pdf)
When One Sibling is More “Gifted” Than the Other
Tempo: Guidance & Counseling of Gifted Students
Life in the Asynchronous Family
Siblings of Twice-Exceptional Children
A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children (Amazon)
Congrats, Your Kid is Gifted…But What About Her Sibling?
Setting Boundaries for Gifted Siblings
Sibling Relationships in Families with Gifted Children (pdf)
Cybraryman’s Gifted and Talented Page
Image courtesy of Pixabay CC0 Public Domain
Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad