Abstract:
Giftedness is defined as showing superior performance compared to peers in a specific developmental area. In this context, the commonly held preconception is that gifted children are superior in all areas. However, compared to their peers, they may be superior in certain areas, while being typical in others. Such differences in developmental speed in different areas is called "asynchronous development." This concept is considered to be quite important for groups with special needs and has been the focus of different studies. Despite being one of the defining characteristics of giftedness, asynchronous development is often overlooked, not studied in depth and does not receive sufficient attention, motivating the focus of this paper. In the study, asynchronous development patterns of a child with gifted potential at the age of 5 years and 3 months, to whom we will refer to as Ruzgar, are presented using a case analysis method, thereby concretizing the concepts behind, and the recognition of, typical asynchronous development patterns. It is hoped that this study will support the long-term social-emotional development of gifted children, helping parents and teachers address potential problems before they occur by understanding both academic and social behavioral patterns of gifted children. Possible ways of early intervention are also discussed in light of observations and conclusions from the case study, providing suggestions for experts as well as teachers and parents of gifted children.
