Asynchronous Development

Definition:

Asynchronous development refers to uneven intellectual, physical, and emotional development. In average children, intellectual, physical, and emotional development progresses at about the same rate. That is, the development is in "sync." An average three-year-old has the intellectual and physical abilities as well as the emotional maturity most other three-year-olds have. However, in gifted children, the development of those areas is out of "sync." They do not progress at the same rate. A gifted three-year-old child's developmental profile could look like this:

Intellectual ability -- age 6
Physical ability -- age 3
Emotional maturity -- age 2


Or this:

Intellectual ability -- age 7
Physical ability -- age 3
Emotional maturity -- age 4


Or this:

Intellectual ability -- age 6
Physical ability -- age 4
Emotional maturity -- age 3


Or any other combination of the three, although the intellectual ability is always advanced. (Some believe that it is possible to advanced physically, but not intellectually.)

The higher a child's IQ is, the more out of sync his or her development is likely to be.