FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Given the child’s age, we do not believe it would be beneficial to assess the child for possible identification.

We suggest that the evaluation should only take place around the age of 6 or 7, when the child is already in school. The abilities that the child shows at this time indicate a certain precocity that with time and the start of school may become less accentuated.

Scientifically, there are precocious children who later do not show giftedness and there are children who are not precocious who show giftedness. There are also precocious children whose giftedness is later confirmed.

In daily learning activities, on the part of adults, there should be a concern to make some differentiation:

• either in the degree of difficulty of the task in the area(s) in which the child shows the most progress;
• or by the “distribution of specific roles” within the activities performed;
• or even by promoting acceleration, having the child join a group with people of a more advanced age.

In general, there are areas in which these children develop very precociously, but there are also areas in which they are not so significantly developed and may even reveal difficulties (sometimes in motor skills and/or also in socialization); in this case, there has to be a whole guidance and encouragement to obtain a balanced development: both the higher skills (for motivation and challenge) and the lowers skills (to obtain a better performance) should be worked on.

APCS has been organising some Workshops for parents, in Porto, Lisbon, as well as in other places. If you are interested in participating, please let us know so that we can inform you as soon as we have a date and place set.