I started googling a search for behavioral issues in kids when I somehow landed on problems with gifted kids. My son is 8 & has always had some behavioral issues (super sensitivity, easily offended, manipulative, argumentative, etc.) I went on a field trip with him the other day & noticed that he still has these issues that I observed in preschool. I don't like to use the word "gifted" because I don't necessarily consider him to be, but many adults who have had close contact with him (speech therapist, amazing kindergarten teacher, etc.) have said that he is highly intelligent. He's also taken tests where he has scored very high.
The problem is, I do think there are issues with bright kids. If they are bored in the classroom, they are likely to do things that annoy other people (ie. humming, tapping foot, etc.). My son also frequently complains that he never gets called on at school, though he raises his hand all the time. There is a frustration & boredom factor that can make some of these kids fidgety & act out. It's also a vicious cycle, because if there are behavioral issues, they are not going to necessarily be labeled as such great students. In other words, it doesn't necessarily translate into good grades, unless there is a teacher who notices that they need to be challenged & engaged appropriately (which happened in our kindergarten year).
The person who told you that gifted kids don't have behavioral problems may not know what he's talking about.... Not all gifted kids are perfectly behaved with perfect focus. Some are downright annoying & fidgety (like my son)!
) tend to do very well in life. But just like any person, one with a very high IQ can have a mental illness or neurological difference that makes his life more bumpy...
