Genius Children: What They Are, What Are Their Characteristics, And Examples
From time to time we hear about specific cases of children with great cognitive abilities, capable of great feats that surpass not only those of their peers but even those that an average adult would be capable of doing. Some of them have gone on to accomplish great works throughout their lives, and have been classified and named as child geniuses.
But, What is a genius child? Let’s see it throughout this article.
A child genius is considered to be that minor who, throughout his or her development, is characterized by manifest from an early age a cognitive ability above average in at least one or more intellectual domains being by definition gifted or talented, which manifests or crystallizes at some point in their life in the generation of some type of work or product of great impact and creativity.
These children are characterized not only by their high intelligence in all or some areas, but also by a very high capacity for motivation and interest in learning and developing their knowledge. For this same motivation, they usually show a high commitment to this development, to the point that they usually go beyond what others and even older and more experienced subjects do.
Another of the main factors to take into account is that genius children They also have a considerable level of creativity It is these factors, and not only intelligence, that will contribute to the child being able to develop and generate her work.
In fact, although in the past a genius was someone who had an IQ of 180 or more, the realization that the IQ is insufficient to explain and measure the real ability of these minors, that people with a lower IQ have carried out great works showing a superior ability and that there are many other influential factors that have changed this consideration.
It must be taken into account that the designation of child genius should not be made in the absence of some work or product in which the subject crystallizes his or her abilities. And by work we are not necessarily referring to something artistic but it can also refer to a theory or conceptual framework in any of the sciences that is revolutionary or creative.
Likewise, it is common that, like gifted children, from their first moments they tend to be awake and curious (curiosity is something that is present in the majority of genius children), as well as the fact that they have a great capacity for concentration. Also it is common for them to have academic problems and who show lower than average emotional control and frustration tolerance.
In some cases this can predispose them to anxiety attacks, depression and other similar problems, and it is not uncommon for them to show good management and even leadership skills. It is possible that they show greater sensitivity and empathy towards their peers or the environment, although they may have difficulties in this sense (for example, genius children diagnosed with Asperger’s are known).
Differentiation with giftedness and precocious children
It is common for people to consider that giftedness and genius are synonymous. But although they certainly have a lot in common (both have high cognitive abilities, high creativity and strong intrinsic motivation), the truth is that they do not necessarily refer to the same reality: Neither do all gifted children necessarily have to be gifted (although this is common), nor are all gifted children geniuses
To begin to see the differences, it is worth highlighting that the consideration of a child genius depends on whether, throughout his or her life, he or she generates some type of work that receives such consideration: although the existence of talent or giftedness may be visible in the performance. Generally, a child’s genius is not visible until he or she performs a work that is highly valued by society. In other words, it is necessary that his capacity be demonstrated de facto with some notable product. Thus, a gifted person does not have to manifest genius.
Furthermore, it must be taken into account that the gifted child is characterized by having an IQ at least two standard deviations above the average (specifically above 130), something that is manifested in most areas and types of intelligence.
The genius child also has superior intellectual capacity, although it is not always necessary for him to show it in all areas: It is possible to be a genius in a specific type of intelligence In this way, a genius child can be gifted or talented (a concept that implies an intelligence above 130 in one or several abilities but not in the majority).
It is also important to distinguish between a genius child and a precocious child: a precocious child is one who has abilities that are ahead of those typical of his or her age, something that, although common in gifted and geniuses, does not have to imply giftedness in itself.
Examples
There are many examples of children who have been considered geniuses throughout history, among which some that can serve as examples are the following.
Pablo Ruiz Picasso
One of the best-known Spanish painters of modernity, Pablo Ruiz Picasso was also a child genius. This artist, who learned to paint with his father, already He made his first work at the age of eight: The yellow chopper.
Throughout his life, this important painter and sculptor developed different techniques and styles, and with the passage of time he would break with the use of the perspective of the time to generate, together with George Braque, his own style: cubism.
One of the best-known child geniuses is Mozart, the famous composer, who already Since the age of five he had made various compositions that began to earn him the recognition of the court. In fact, she composed her first symphony when she was eight years old. Educated by his father in music, from early childhood he expressed a great interest in learning, and the great works in which the young man
He crystallized his abilities throughout his life, earning him recognition as a child genius.
Gregory R. Smith
Gregory Smith is the name of another genius child, although he may not be a well-known name, but the truth is that we are dealing with a young man who already has four nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and who received the first of them at twelve years of age. He was already able to solve mathematical problems before he was two years old who graduated from high school at the age of nine and at the age of ten began pursuing a career in Business Management.
This young He is also known as an international speaker, and has fought to defend childhood and peace. He is also founder and president of International Youth Advocates, which he created at the age of ten. Likewise, he has also studied mathematics (he is president of the Mathematics Association of America), history, and biology.
