Laurent Simons is eight years old but in September she will begin her studies at the university. When a few days ago he graduated from high school with thousands of students aged 17 and 18, his height soon caught the attention of those present.
This small of Belgian origin, which has an IQ of 145, he has completed the entire high school cycle in just a year and a half, and is one step away from achieving his dream.
An IQ of 145
Laurent's early years were not like those of any other child his age. His parents say that showed no interest in toys, and that he used to have problems when it comes to relating to his peers.
They immediately realized that his IQ was well above average, and this allowed him finish your studies in record time. Not surprisingly, he attended high school in just one year and a half, when it is normal for his country to be a six-year cycle.
A few days ago, Laurent graduated from high school and after the summer he will start his university career, although he is still not sure what he wants to study. He always wanted to be a surgeon or astronaut, but now it seems he has decided to opt for computer science.
In any case, this little boy of eight years loves mathematics because, in his own words, it is a discipline "very broad, and in which there is room for statistics, geometry, algebra ...". His parents say they feel very proud of him and do not care at all what Laurent decides to study or exercise in the future, provided he is happy.
Educational acceleration
Laurent He is not the first gifted child to arrive at university at such an early age. And although there are people who believe that the curricular acceleration of gifted children prevents them from enjoying their childhood and "being children" for a while, for others instead it is a mistake to deny the progress of these restless minds.
In May 2003, a conference was held with experts on educational acceleration at the University of Iowa (United States), and with the conclusions presented there, the report was published: "A deceived nation: How schools repress the brightest students in the United States". It details up to 18 different types of acceleration among which are curricular adaptations, compactions, partial accelerations by subject ...
As explained by the Spanish Association of Gifted and Talented (AEST), most educators are not familiar with the benefits of educational acceleration, but it is important Know the advantages that this can bring to certain students.
But nevertheless, not all gifted children are ready for acceleration, so it must be the parents and educators who jointly reflect on it to make a decision in this regard, assessing the degree of motivation, social and emotional maturity and other interests of the child.
The attention that gifted children require
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a gifted person as "one that has an intellectual quotient greater than 130". However, according to the AEST the Measurement of giftedness based on IQ is archaic Because high intellectual abilities are not homogeneous, there are talents of many types and each case is unique.
In any case, and regardless of the IQ score, gifted children or those with high intellectual abilities need special attention at a social, emotional level and, even if it seems a lie, also at an intellectual level.
And we can fall into the error of thinking that these children have enough capacity to learn on their own what they want. But this is not so.As we can help a gifted child from an intellectual point of view ?:
Offering a teaching adapted to their possibilities, as we have seen in the previous point.
Facilitating access to additional resources or stimuli, as well as generating occasions when they can use their skills.
Adjusting the environment to their needs so that they can evolve properly depending on their skills, possibilities, autonomy and effectiveness.
Correctly adapt the objectives of the school to its capacity, either through adaptations in the way of working with the child, as well as in the contents that will be imparted. Of course, always under the guidance, encouragement and guidance of the professional trained for it.
If the gifted child does not receive the necessary attention both in the family environment, as well as in the social and educational environment, he could be bound to school failure. In fact, according to experts, 80 percent of gifted children fail in schools due to lack of support.
But identify high intellectual abilities in time It is not only key for the child to develop their full potential and avoid school failure, but also to avoid emotional imbalances such as stress, sadness and even depression.
On some occasions, the teachers themselves are the ones who realize the student's abilities, although most of the time it is something that parents already suspect from the first years of the child's life, because they show signs of development very different from the rest of the children of their age.
Photos iStock, Pixabay
Via BBC
In Babies and More Failure to identify high abilities in time could lead to emotional imbalances and somatization in the child, How to know if my child has high intellectual abilities, What a gifted child needs, 80 percent of gifted children fail at school because of lack of support
