I really didn't understand what it meant when some of you referred to your kids as asynchronous so I decided to look it up. I came across this reference and was wondering how true it is?

http://giftedkids.about.com/od/glossary/g/asynchronous.htm

When it comes to intellectual, physical and emotional development did you notice a significant delay in the physical and emotional side as they suggested in the article? Im just curious how accurate this idea is that the higher the IQ the more out of sync the other developments are.

Well sure, although I would caution you that emotional maturity is not something that one can measure. Lots of things that look immature to others are actually excellent adaptaions to a difficult learning situation, or some other problem that MG or ND kids wouldn't have to face. Many will say that emotional maturity tends to be advanced in gifted children, but perhaps not as advanced as the intellectual stuff.

Organizational skills can be a typical area where some gifted boys are 'behind.'

Grin

DD never had a problem with emotional maturity. She was and still is far more mature than her actual age. Physically she started walking early (9.5mos) but was very clumsy and uncoordinated for a long time. She also was delayed somewhat in her fine motor skills but that may have had more to do with boredom than anything else. She wouldn't color until she was 5 (hated it), her penmanship was very poor up until this year, and she was never good with scissors. I will say that her intellectual development was considerably more advanced in comparison to her physical development but the emotional development was never delayed.

Oh yes, DD is a good example of AD (not ADD).

For example, she understands that everybody will die, including herself.
She knows that Santa is not real.

She has just started to make real drawings, not just the typical 'scrambles'.
She gets a tamtrum if DS (16 months) tries to get her Lego construction.

Socially speaking, I am not certain if she is either socially inmature or a social genius because she really has learn to 'act' or mimic other kid's behaviors.

I always think of "asynchronous development" as just referring to a difference, whatever that difference is. I was using it recently when DS couldn't draw pi quickly. The kid's mind is easily high school level for math, but he also writes his log problems in all the same size font, without the lower base. He understands that it should be smaller, but his little chubby hands just can't do it. The pi thing really slows him down. His brain has finished the math, and he's still forming that little squiggly line on top.

My kids are all on the larger size, so no real asynchronisms there. And I think they are fairly emotionally mature as well, but they also have goofy kid moments that are more in keeping with their actual age.

Is their a mismatch? I'm sure there is, but it's not a drastic thing in our house.

FWIW though, every time I discuss sending DS8 to middle school for math, DD13 has ALL kinds of examples of his asynchronous behavior

Hi ladies.

My son walked independently at 9.75 months and climbed stairs and ran by 11 months, so I would not characterize him as physically delayed by any measure. Although his writing and math problems are really large and a bit messy also.

His asynchronous development, which was most obvious from age five to nine, presented because he was so intellectually advanced as compared to age and held mature social expectations that his classmates did not meet. Additionally, he is very emotionally intense. His feelings were easily hurt before he accepted common boy world behaviors and he didn’t hide it. With age, he is more willing to participate in boy world teasing and has become more a part of the group although he would only categorize one or two school buddies as good friends.

This article illustrates best what I mean when I refer to the fact that DS was very asynchronous as a young boy.

http://www.gt-cybersource.org/Record.aspx?NavID=2_0&rid=11392

Did I ever tell you about the time DS got in big trouble for being upset, and causing a fuss, because the other little 5 year old boys in aftercare wanted to play "snake" with a plugged in electric cord, and the teacher thought that my DS was acting really, really immature for not just letting them be. She figured that he was probably feeling a bit left out for not being included in the game.

And I wonder why he's such a cynic at age 11. ((shiver))

Frowity, not Grinity right this minute

Hmmm . . . I never used that term to refer to my kids but I suppose it is somewhat accurate.

I'll respond for only the kid most evidently asynchonous. His physical development was ridiculously slow and he qualified for EI until 2.5 for ST, PT, OT, and cognitive therapy. I suppose all that is about age appropriate now, although I think he writes better than average for age and is easily doing worksheets in school for kids a few grade levels ahead.

Emotionally, he's amazingly mature and always was. At 18 months, I saw him take toys other kids were fighting over and throw them into playpens to end the argument. I've never seen him engage in an argument that degenerated to name calling or "small" behavior. He defends himself, but will forgive in two seconds and focuses always on moving on, not on revenge or pettiness. If he can't do that, he gets out of the situation and goes and reads by himself rather than engaging in a long battle. He had a period of being quick to cry during K, but he's over that now. I often call him generous -- he's generous in his view of others, thinks the best possible of others, and is quick to praise their efforts and focus on making others feel good about themselves.

In terms of organization . . . . got a ways to go there. He recently got off the bus with a weighty chess book opened and his nose buried in it -- no backpack and no lunch box, but he had what mattered to him! We're working on it . . . .

J

Oh that's a hoot!!!! I love the visual that comes with that. DS would just complain to me that "the babies are being mean", ROFL!