Asynchronous Development

Asynchronous Development in Gifted Students

It is often said that gifted children are “many ages at once” and are quite literally “out-of-sync.” Gifted children can experience significant discrepancies, or asynchronous development, in their physical, intellectual, social and emotional development. The extent of the asynchrony can increase with increasing intellectual capacity. Knowledge of this unique-- and normal-- trait of gifted students is foundational to understanding how to modify teaching and parenting to support their needs.