Emotional imbalances, headaches, skin lesions or leaks when sphincters were already controlled are just some of the manifestations of somatization that children with high capacities may experience, as the Spanish Association for the Gifted and Talented (AEST) has alerted.
Therefore, the AEST has appealed to pediatricians so that, when they find themselves with such cadres, they also value the possibility of being in front of a child with high intellectual abilities that have not been identified and that he needs the immediate help of the family and school environment.
The need for adequate support and attention
A child with high abilities not only has an intelligence far above average, but a personality, creativity, sensitivity and temperament that they develop differently from other children their age, so they can sometimes hide their talents to be accepted by the group.
But the reality is that high capacity children have specific needs, both emotional and educational, that if they are not detected - and therefore do not receive the attention they need - can have a very negative influence on their day to day.
In Babies and more High capacities, high sensitivity and high demand: how these concepts differ and resembleThe AEST explains that many of the High-capacity children who have not been identified suffer emotional imbalances with some frequency, such as stress, sadness and even depression. Somatizations can also occur that occur in the form of abdominal pains, headaches, vomiting, rebel fevers, eczema, psoriasis, nosebleeds, incontinence when sphincter control already existed ...
That is why the Spanish Association for the Gifted and Talent wants to alert pediatricians to keep in mind that these types of paintings could hide high unidentified capabilities that need attention and support, both from the family and from the educational center.
"The AEST asks pediatricians that, in the event of this type of symptoms appearing in any of their patients, they assess the possibility that it could be a child with high unidentified Intellectual Capabilities, that they need support at school and understanding for part of his parents and / or teachers, and therefore they refer him to Child and Youth Mental Health for a complete psychological evaluation. "
Remember that children with high abilities stand out from a very young age for their broad vocabulary, their great memory and creativity, their emotional intensity or their empathy. They also manifest a great sense of justice, critical and divergent thinking and an insatiable curiosity to learn.
The importance of early detection
As they explain from the AEST, High Skills are often confused with high academic performance, and we mistakenly believe that these children are not only intellectually precocious, but also responsible, quiet and attentive in class.
But curiously, intelligence can imply just the opposite: both physical and mental restlessness, rebellion and difficulty accepting the rules when they are not reasoned. At school, they can show great energy and enthusiasm towards everything that interests them, but boredom and demotivation towards what doesn't interest them.
"In many moments his desire to know and his intensity is confused with another series of characteristics or even pathologies that are not such. Therefore, we must understand what the person is like and give him the emotional response he needs" - explains Pedro Fernández, psychologist health of the Spanish Association of Gifted and Talented.
In Babies and more The best schools for children with high capacities: what requirements they must meetAccording to the Ministry of Education and Science, this boredom and demotivation leads 70% of gifted students to perform well below their abilities, and 30-50% to present school failure.
Therefore It is essential to identify high capacities early, to avoid possible personal, social and academic problems, anticipating psychoeducational measures among which would be, for example, curricular adaptation.
Therefore, the identification of high capacities and their correct management will favor not only the emotional well-being of the child, but the development of their full potential.In the opposite case, and as we have seen, we could even talk about school failure and other emotional, social or personal problems.
Via Spanish Association for the Gifted and Talented (AEST)
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