What is precocity?

When we say precocity, what does it make you think of, first of all ?

It's actually thinking differently and having a particular form of intelligence (we have several forms of intelligence). It is having a different way of thinking , hypersensitivity to the environment and to others, an overflowing imagination , a thousand thoughts that come at the same time and collide.

To reveal (or not) the precocity, IQ tests exist there are also the clinical signs.

How is precocity called?

- Zebra : Jeanne Siaud Facchin , clinical psychologist, specialist in the matter, introduced the term zebras to define precocious children and adults. Why Zebra? Because it is a unique animal (by its stripes) that also needs others.

- Giftedness: neologism French Canadian, created in 1980. For Françoys Gagné , professor emeritus in psychology, it means "the possession and use of natural abilities (" inborn ") that occur spontaneously - with no systematic training - in a field of aptitudes, at a level such as to place the individual among the top 10% of his peers in age "

Other terms are also used:

· Gifted

· Atypical - also include children with Dys (Dyscalculia, Dysorthography, Dyslexia, …)

· IPC - Intellectually Precocious Children

· HP - High Potential.

The characteristics of precocity

Precocious children have "common characteristics" but I would say rather undeniable qualities.

First of all, they are hypersensitive and have a fine and accurate perception of their environment. They receive a lot of information to process continuously. We can speak of an exacerbated sensory perception with all the senses awake.

Thus the observed traits can be, in a non-exhaustive way:

· A hypersensitivity with a great sense of justice and susceptibility,

· Early acquisitions with ease,

· Tree-based thinking and rapid information processing

· A high performing memory

· A lag between intellectual

maturity and emotional maturity

· A relationship to the other which can be complex due to the characteristics observed above.

· A permanent questioning of the framework, its rules and its meaning with a great need for consistency

I must thank the psychologist who accompanied my child for having had this finesse, this subtlety to highlight these traits.

No, precocity is not just a global figure, it is a whole. But I'll tell you about it at another time!