How to Know if Your Child is Gifted (HPI): Signs, Challenges, and What to Do Next

Understanding What Giftedness Really Means

As a parent, it can be both fascinating and confusing when your child seems to think or behave in a way that doesn’t quite match others their age. You may have caught yourself wondering during homework time—or after yet another sleepless night, spent calming school anxieties—“Is my child just bright, or is something deeper going on?”

In France, the term « HPI » (Haut Potentiel Intellectuel) is commonly used to describe what is often called giftedness or high intellectual potential. These children learn faster, think more deeply, and process the world differently. But that doesn’t always translate to top report cards or smooth days at school. In fact, for many HPI kids, school can be a real struggle.

Gifted Isn’t Always Easy

Let’s dispel a myth right away: a child with high intellectual potential is not the kid who necessarily breezes through homework or always finishes tasks ahead of time. Quite often, it’s the child who gets bored, distracted, or even anxious in class. It might be the child who asks hundreds of questions, argues with teachers over details, or shuts down during repetitive tasks.

One mother I worked with described her 9-year-old daughter as "too curious for her own good." She loved science, could recite obscure facts about black holes, but cried every time she had to do a multiplication worksheet. This mismatch between ability and behavior often puzzles teachers—and frustrates parents.

Being gifted frequently comes with sensory sensitivities, emotional intensity, or asynchronous development (when a child might be emotionally young but intellectually much older). These can become mistaken for behavioral issues, ADHD, or even laziness. The truth is much more nuanced.

Signs That May Indicate High Intellectual Potential

There’s no one-size-fits-all checklist, but in general, here are some signs parents notice before suspecting giftedness:

• An insatiable curiosity and love of learning—sometimes in very specific areas
• A large vocabulary and/or early reading ability
• Questioning the rules or challenging authority in thoughtful (sometimes exhausting) ways
• Deep emotional sensitivity or a strong sense of justice and fairness
• Boredom or lack of motivation in traditional school settings
• Hyper-focus on topics that interest them, and zoning out of topics that don’t

Sometimes, parents spot patterns like these when comparing younger siblings or chatting with teachers. But even more commonly, they notice the gap between their child’s speed when learning something new and their struggle when completing basic schoolwork. This discrepancy can also echo what some parents notice in children with ADHD, especially about executive function challenges. If this sounds familiar, you might also be interested in this article about turning homework into a game.

The Importance—and Limits—of Evaluation

If your child consistently shows signs of giftedness and struggles in school, a professional evaluation is worth considering. A cognitive assessment, typically given by a psychologist, will measure intellectual functioning through standardized tests like the WISC-V.

The psychologist will also look for patterns of strengths and weaknesses, which can help distinguish between giftedness, learning disorders, or both. It is not uncommon for a child to be "twice exceptional"—both gifted and dyslexic, for example.

However, an evaluation is a tool, not a magic solution. Labels can open doors, but they can’t teach us how to support our child emotionally day-to-day. That’s where your role as an empathetic guide becomes crucial.

Practical Ways to Support a Gifted Child

Being the parent of an HPI child means being both their safe space and their translator—helping teachers and others understand what they need to thrive. At home, three things often make a difference:

• Understand their inner world: Highly gifted kids feel intensely. Help them name their emotions, and make space for their frustrations without judging them. You might appreciate this reflection on balancing firmness and kindness.
• Adapt how they learn: If your child doesn’t learn well through repetition or notes, find methods that match their brain. For instance, some parents of auditory learners record lessons as stories they can listen to in the car. Apps like Skuli let you transform a written lesson into a personalized hero adventure, using your child’s first name, so they engage more deeply with the material in a way that feels playful and natural.
• Create challenges outside school: Many gifted children thrive when they’re offered projects beyond the curriculum—art, coding, languages, writing a comic book. Following their passions can rebuild confidence often lost at school.

School Adaptations and Advocacy

Once identified, a gifted child may benefit from personalized accommodations at school—accelerated work in certain subjects, enrichment activities, or mentorship. But not all schools are equally equipped or willing to differentiate. Being informed is key. If you're facing resistance from your child's school, it might help to explore what school rights your child has in your country or region.

Well-informed teachers can make all the difference. In some cases, alternative education models—such as Montessori—might better align with your child’s learning profile. You can read more about that here.

A Final Thought to Tired Parents

If you’re feeling exhausted because your child simply doesn’t “fit the mold,” take heart. You’re not alone—and your presence, your questions, and your efforts matter more than any label ever could.

Embracing your child’s unique mind means embracing complexity—days that are exhilarating and days that are draining. But it also means watching a young mind bloom in extraordinary ways. And with tools, support, and a bit of creativity, you can help your child not just survive school—but truly grow through it.