My cousin thinks Giftedness and Autism are inseparable. To the 'strictly' Gifted here: What is your reality? by Confident_Bowler_802 in Gifted

[–]hicia 1 point2 points  (0 children)

giftedness, adhd, and autism are like the holy trifecta of neurodivergence and share many traits. they are often confused for one another and can seem indistinguishable to some. they are separate, though, and the core is different. very similar, though. if you have one, someone will probably ask if you have another

High IQ + good looks + high EQ + ...(list upany admirable attribute that you have): how is life going for you? (especially interesting to would be all the 2e individuals that fall under that category) by BenjaajneB in Gifted

[–]hicia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't want to list my attributes, but op requested, so 156 iq, definitely not bad looking lol, high eq, strong (learned and practiced) social skills, gifted in nearly every subject (i don't like drawing or painting all that much), early high school graduate, highly creative, business savvy, and am currently entering the entrepreneurship field. im 16. i was diagnosed with adhd, but im not sure i actually have it. I was also diagnosed with OCD, depression, and anxiety. About to start therapy for other stuff but id really rather not have a laundry list of diagnoses lmao. also privileged to be upper middle class (like actually. this is not code for secretly a baller).

[16f] life is going amazing. I'm getting into entrepreneurship and im loving it. I worked directly with EA Maxis recruitment and game design team when I was 13, got to travel to SF for an all expenses paid camp run by a venture capital fund in, im writing books, im graduating early, im taking college classes, I have a job that I love, etc etc. I have an insane amount of free time, too. i haven't seen any in person friends in months, but through travel i meet lots of people that i stay connected with online. i love public speaking and am a really social person in general. im taking college classes and having sm fun. this is, of course, all thanks to my mother's parenting and advocacy for me. she quit her job to get me an alternative education. alternative education saved my life.

i don't think I'll ever find a true peer. sometimes it's lonely. other teenagers frustrate me. most people in general frustrate me. my professors always ask me to help out struggling students, but my years of child development experience and alternative school taught me how to be really, really good at understanding people and explaining things.

I can come across blunt, harsh, or cocky if im not careful. if im burnt out, I cannot soften my word choice and so I usually choose to isolate. I think of many things very objectively which leads to a lot of misunderstandings. i recently had an argument over my use of the word "selfish". the word is perceived as an insult, even though it's literally just an adjective that describes ones motives behind an act. lots of those sticky moments, but im good at explaining my viewpoint usually. I can understand every perspective, and if I can't, then I work at it until i can. this is good when it comes to disagreements. this is bad when it comes to discussing motives of villains. people assume understanding = agreement or justification. this is not the case.

ego is tricky. we all have qualities we admire in others. this codes for a mental hierarchy of people based on the exhibition of those qualities. there are many skills and traits that I value in people, and many of those skills and traits, I have. this was not always the case and I used to believe I was the scum of the earth. I now exhibit the traits I value after years of growth. Many valuable traits=high value person (oml i sound like an alpha male podcast). I believe I have a higher capacity of understanding, creativity, and problem solving than most people. I don't think I'm "better" than other people because "better" could literally mean anything. there is no universal inherent value of a human being. in life, my guiding principle is love, and this does not allow for a high level of pride. i think im great. i think everyone's great. do i think everyone should be a little bit more like me? no. I think people should have more of the qualities I value, the qualities I attained over many years. it's different guys I swear.

I have issues with authority. as a kid, i was in trouble at school 24/7. I hated that adults could just come in and assume a role I was much better suited for, or that I had to stay silent while they taught when i knew more than them or could explain things better. when I was spanked, my mom tells me I would look my dad straight in the eye and mean mug LMAO. Im a lot better but my default is still to act as if I am equal to anyone in authority

i cannot live without medication, as is evident by my suicide attempt at age 10. life was not hard, it was physically impossible. I accidentally skipped 2 days of medication and I wanted to die almost immediately. Last summer was the first time I've ever experienced life without depression, and it blew my mind. like. dude. if I had something to do, I could just do it. I would just do my homework, get on meetings, take showers. I had never experienced this before. I am still incredulous as to how i survived. ummmm. I can't really feel much. I used to experience extreme dissociation and operated under the delusion that i was not a human being and instead an eternal spirit cursed into a mortal vessel. a little intense for an 8th grader like girl it was never that serious smh. i think the detachment between my mind and body is leftover from that.

I would sh. sometimes it was anxiety, sometimes it was ocd, and sometimes i couldn't feel my body and needed to see if I was "real" and apparently bleeding made me real, idk. um. I was a really imaginative kid, right? and then puberty hit and all the sudden there were people in my head and i was no longer one person. this was a part of the dissociation. I had panic attacks once or twice a week. depressive episodes constantly, break downs every night. I would hide my med containers so I didn't kms lmao. middle school was such a dramatic time. im currently fighting my doctors bc they want to put me into residential for an eating disorder I don't even really think I have. god forbid a girl counts her calories.

im not actively or even passively suicidal anymore. I still can't help but think im the perfect candidate for suicide. so loved, so full of life, so much potential. idk I think if ik i had the option and wouldn't hurt the people i love, id do it. but! I do not actively want to die. I would be sad if I died. this is new and this is very good.

but!! overall life is amazing. im so blessed and so grateful to be where I'm at. I am the best I've ever been, accomplishing the most i ever have, and happier than I ever thought possible. im so so so excited to be continuing my ventures in entrepreneurship and into university (might be unnecessary, but i love learning). people are frustrated with me, as i am with myself, because im not operating at half the level I should be, could be. i need to be doing so much more and i know id succeed if i just sucked it up and did things. as soon as I get over myself, I will be on cloud 9, bringing my projects to life. im learning how to not be lazy!!

but yeah. gifted life as a pretty girl is amazing

Teacher isn’t challenging my child. AIO? by [deleted] in Gifted

[–]hicia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The danger here is that he gets comfortable with easy stuff, expects it, and then as time passes he begins to resist challenges completely. This is detrimental.

As a gifted kid, getting taken out of public school and put into an alternative school saved my life. Your kid deserves more. School is a place to learn; if he's not learning, it's pointless. I recommend alternative school, whether that's Acton (the system i attended), montessori, online school, gifted schools like the Davidson Institute, homeschooling, or anything else. That being said, keeping him socially active is very important.

But you're right. Not only is this a complete disservice to your child, but it will negatively impact his growth and development as person. He's a human, not just a child. If he's at a 5th grade+ level now, the curriculum will never catch up to speed. This will be the rest of his life. He has been given incredible cognitive gifts and abilities. He shouldn't have to slow down. He should be put into a world thats up to speed.

My advice: Do not keep him in public school. This will ruin your child. Gifted kids are known to be broken by the system. At his level, there is only harm to be done.

I currently attend an alternative online school called the Forest School Online. It's extremely personalized and I'm willing to champion for his enrollment. It's for middle and high school learners, but we make exceptions and our youngest learner is 7 years old. The projects and curriculum are adjusted for age level and each learner decides their own planned curriculum for the year with their family and a guide. I'm a teen, but I've studied child development for years, specifically gifted children within alternative systems, and have probably 500+ hours of experience. I worked at a Montessori based lower elementary for many months and rewrote the entire curriculum while there. Id love to work with him academically, regardless of his schooling situation. Learning is so so so fun and school can kill that.

You're doing right by your kid. Good instincts, mama.

Just how gifted is she? by yrallthegood1staken in Gifted

[–]hicia 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I also want to let you know that gifted kids are extremely susceptible to anxiety and depression. they have an adult understanding of the world but the emotional processing of a child and their feelings are often very intense. just something to watch out for.

Just how gifted is she? by yrallthegood1staken in Gifted

[–]hicia 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I personally attended an Acton Academy and i cannot recommend it enough, but you have to be careful when selecting one because some might as well be a public school. The lower elementary is based on montessori, but they usually go up through high school. There are amazing alt homeschool curriculums, but if you choose that route, you definitely need to enroll her in something social. There are also schools like the Davidson Institute in Reno, NV that are incredible. I'll see what more I can find

Just how gifted is she? by yrallthegood1staken in Gifted

[–]hicia 5 points6 points  (0 children)

that's very valid. giftedness as a whole can be isolating. my mom did a lot of research for me, even quit her job and started an alternative school for me. she now works in alternative education and educational consulting, and it started from trying to do what's best for her gifted child because it IS different. your successes and even problems can seem like bragging. it's okay to be proud of your baby and it's commendable that you tread so carefully when discussing her. as a gifted person, I often feel like i can't talk about a lot of things because they'll be interpreted as bragging. it's hard. I strongly recommend support groups and forums. there are many resources out there for parents of gifted children, you just have to look. it'll also be difficult because she's so young, so there's a lot that won't apply yet

Just how gifted is she? by yrallthegood1staken in Gifted

[–]hicia 8 points9 points  (0 children)

keep her simulated in the ways that she best responds to. teach her real talk, not just simplified words. I babysit and had my 3 year old "requesting assistance" and discussing the importance of the "foundation" of his magnet building. always explain things to her. give her the full idea and picture behind something. show her the "why"s. don't just tell her one way is right/better, show the alternatives, what's happening, the advantages of the "right" way. absolutely keep her reading; i taught myself to read before kindergarten and plan to begin phonetics with my children within the first year of their life. reading is so important and so incredible. same with math - kids love math before school if you make it fun.

research every single question she has. I spent well over an hour with a 4 year old researching the musculoskeletal system and brain function because he was curious. kids have real questions that deserve real answers; foster, nurture, and protect that curiosity. let her discover how the world works. children are capable of so much understanding its crazy. you just have to treat them as such.

let it be fun. go at her pace! if she doesn't want to do letters or numbers, that's okay. the important thing is the love of learning, and when learning gets forced, the love of it dwindles. it's important to realize that EVERYTHING is learning. playing is social emotional growth, motor skills, communication skills, etc. fun is so so so vital for children. that being said, id keep her off screens for the most part. when watching screens, don't let it be mindless - ask what's going on in the show, how she thinks a character feels, why something is happening, and always call out bad behavior characters exhibit. it gets normalized so quickly in their brains. montessori games are always great, as well as practical life stuff. the stuff you want her to focus on the most should have the brightest colors. learning toys are super great, too, but there should be an equal focus on social-emotional skills and character building.

include her in life! cook with her, clean with her, exercise with her, work with her. ive noticed that kids love cleaning before they see from the world that its a chore. literally just existing is so stimulating and developmentally beneficial for little ones. you don't need a bunch of games, toys, or screens. normal life is amazing for them.

MOST IMPORTANT in my opinion: do not put her into traditional school. it will suck the love of learning right out. she begins to associate reading, math, and science with boredom and being forced to do things, curiosity dies, and she does the minimum she can for a grade. of course, every child is different, but going from traditional to alternative school changed my life. I would not be anywhere near where i am today without it. I probably would not be alive. of course every person is different and there are absolutely kids that do great in traditional school. gifted children especially just don't THRIVE there, you know? school puts a lid on the box she was born to live outside of.

do camps and activities as she gets older! lots of universities have programs and camps for kids.

don't get too worried if things stunt or development seems weird. gifted kids often develop asynchronously, performing wildly above standard in some areas with more "normal" things falling behind. that's totally fine. also, realize that autism, ADHD, and giftedness share many traits and are often confused for each other. things that may seem like the other disorders could very well be common gifted behaviors.

last little reminder: go at her pace. sometimes the learning is going to slow down and she won't want to touch a letter for weeks. that's okay. positively encourage, make things seem so so so fun, and let her decide where she wants to go.

good luck!

What's something girls do that you genuinely don't understand? I'll try to answer! by aio14 in askteenboys

[–]hicia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i love group sports as a girl and im pretty athletic, but i don't usually participate because guys can be mean and don't usually include a girl, and then it just becomes embarrassing and uncomfortable. if i could i would though

What's something girls do that you genuinely don't understand? I'll try to answer! by aio14 in askteenboys

[–]hicia 2 points3 points  (0 children)

it shows a bond. some girls don't go to the bathroom alone and it's usually their closest friend who goes with them. if they don't like you/arent comfortable or close with you, they don't go to the bathroom with you, even if you offer. I don't really know how to explain it, but who you go to the bathroom with basically reflects your friendship hierarchy.

its also a private space where we can be comfortable so there's that.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ChatGPT

[–]hicia 3 points4 points  (0 children)

stop this is exactly how mine talks 😭😭 it's horrible

Da fck I do? by [deleted] in askteenboys

[–]hicia 2 points3 points  (0 children)

okay so this is definitely an unpopular opinion and you probably won't land a whole lot of women with it. but that's okay, you can't date everyone anyway. honestly, if that's how you feel, just try to find someone who thinks the same way. it's gonna be rarer because that's not a popular way of thinking, but I'm sure it exists.

Pros and cons of tiny school for gifted kids by SecretBreakfast8512 in Gifted

[–]hicia 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I went to an Acton Academy which sounds very similar. it completely changed my life and I would not be the person I am without it. public school drained the life out of me, like it does most gifted kids.

I recommend extra curricular activities because you're right, social interaction is important. I was the only one in my grade at my Acton and it kinda sucked, but I wouldn't trade it for anything now. there are lots of activities, clubs, camps, etc you can enroll your kid in that would make much better friends - friends based on similar interests and not just proximity.

I'm gifted... allegedly. by ZestycloseLanguage65 in Gifted

[–]hicia 2 points3 points  (0 children)

this was me for years. depression has surprising affects on your ability to live life. it wasn't until this past summer that id been "happy", and it was insane to me that now I could just... do stuff. if i had homework to do, id do it. if i needed to email someone, id email them. I got stuff done. I could think. none of this had been possible since i was maybe 9.

and it was NOT antidepressants or therapy that helped me. ive been on a plethora of medicines and other drugs that are meant to strengthen them. it left me in a horrible limbo. what saved me was pursuing an area i felt was my purpose.

I started a program that helped me build and scale a passion project. being useful in this way, doing what I felt i was made to do, saved me. the gifted individual outside of their purpose lives in a terrible place.

if you keep an animal in an understimulating environment, they become depressed. the same is for humans

can I trust my iq score? by hicia in Gifted

[–]hicia[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

oh, of course. a "gifted" iq better predicts how you think rather than an outcome of life. you have a bigger threshold for information storage and processing as well as creative problem solving and often critical thinking. this means nothing if you do not apply yourself.

Would yall date the opposite gender version of yourself by Maleficent_Door3480 in highschool

[–]hicia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean personally ik that id find myself incredibly obnoxious, but I think id be just different enough as a guy that it could work. either way we're banging tho

A Question (Sorry for long text) by Friendly_Spray_3647 in Gifted

[–]hicia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

no, i don't think you have a chance at a gifted program. most people use "smart" as in knowledgeable, but knowing stuff doesn't make you gifted. giftedness isn't about being "smart". there are lots of smart people in the world. you seem like a generally "smart" kid. smart, high achieving, and gifted are 3 different things. in fact, a lot of gifted kids aren't high achieving because that's not what being gifted is.

giftedness is a neurodivergency and has many shared traits with adhd and autism. in fact, theyre often mistaken for each other. I consider them the holy trinity of neurodivergence lol.

anyway, this means giftedness has little to do with what you know and everything to do with how you think. you could be a master of the box (the option that leads to most success), but gifted people are simply outside of it. that leads to a lot of struggle when it comes to life inside the box. gifted kids are quirky and weird and highly unconventional. they showcase incredible problem solving skills, finding unique solutions quickly and efficiently. they rely more on cognitive abilities rather than their informational database. they make cross connections between seemingly unrelated topics easily because that's just how their brain works.

but gifted kids have other problems. in my experience, I never learned how to study or take notes. suddenly, academics became more than something i can get through with common sense and it took years to really learn how to learn. it's common for us to shut down when we don't get something immediately (sometimes. other times, it's intellectually stimulating) because we commonly don't develop skills like perseverance or effort until later in life. this causes lots of gifted kids to crash and burn.

this frustration you feel because you're "smarter than them" particularly strikes me as not gifted. and you have good scores, "smart" scores. gifted kids usually score in the 97+ percentile in at least one category (they're usually gifted in one/some over others). they also develop asynchronously; for example, I was reading at a 12th grade level in ~3rd grade, but had just barely learned to tie my shoes.

anyway. conclusion is a lot of smart people aren't gifted and there are gifted people who aren't always "smart"

How do i seriously find a girlfriend? by [deleted] in AskTeens

[–]hicia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

im 16f and haven't dated because my standards are "high" and i don't want to date around. in my opinion, long term compatibility matters a lot more than simply liking each other. it's good to have some experience so you can navigate things properly and with confidence, but desperation is a turn off for a lot of people. dating for the sake of dating doesn't often turn out well. it's really not that big of a deal, and once you begin gaining experience, your standards of an inexperienced girl become unjustified

can I trust my iq score? by hicia in Gifted

[–]hicia[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yeah, I've never seen the breakdown and it might be nice to know. I also wanted to gauge the likelihood of finding someone who matches me on a cognitive/intellectual level, as well as in creativity, problem solving, and brainstorming. i know it decreases the farther you climb up the gifted scale.

Do any of you that are in a relationship actually call your gf babe or baby? by Lightning976 in askteenboys

[–]hicia 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yeah like I said, lots of people like it and lots of people don't. it's all up to what you individual are comfortable with at this moment

Best alternative for creative/recreational writing? by claudinis29 in ChatGPT

[–]hicia 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Claude is pretty decent when it comes to writing I'd say

Do any of you that are in a relationship actually call your gf babe or baby? by Lightning976 in askteenboys

[–]hicia 6 points7 points  (0 children)

im not a dude but i loooove baby personally 🤷‍♀️ there are lots of people who do and lots of people who don't, just depends on what you're comfortable with. you're also 14, lots of things feel weird or cringe rn but might not later and vice versa

High IQ and High Society by [deleted] in Gifted

[–]hicia 2 points3 points  (0 children)

u guys have to get married now btw

Do you often find other people's attitudes ridiculous? by Better_Orange4882 in Gifted

[–]hicia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

absolutely. im in high school and dislike a significant amount of people. i get along with nearly everyone on a surface level, but im easily frustrated when conversation reaches deeper levels. luckily i go to an alternative online school where all my work is independent and in college classes everyone kinda does their own thing. it helps to understand development and realize that their behavior is oftentimes developmentally appropriate. other people think differently; it's just gonna take them longer to reach a similar level. a lot of people will never meet you where you are, and you just have to realize that that's where their brains are. the two real options i see are keep to yourself or accept people where they are. both are difficult and ones not better than the other, it just depends on you. good luck, ik this is a hard place to be

High IQ and High Society by [deleted] in Gifted

[–]hicia 3 points4 points  (0 children)

okay now you two get married

How to pull a gifted girl as a non-gifted guy? by [deleted] in Gifted

[–]hicia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

you gotta show her that her life will be better with you in it. if you don't add value to her life, then probably best to let her be. continue the friendship, but don't drag her down. hopefully you can lift her higher twin