Children who are gifted often, but not always display intellectual and emotional characteristics, which are beyond the usual level of peers. 

Some of the intellectual traits may be:

• An unusually large vocabulary for the chronological age of the child
• The ability to read early, often before attending school
• Comprehension of the subtleties of language
• Unusual sense of humor
• Learns basic skills easily, with little or no practice
• Wide range of interest
• Highly developed curiosity, limitless supply of questions
• Interest in experimenting and doing things differently
• Tendency to put ideas or things together in unusual ways
• Ability to retain a great deal of information
• Longer attention span, persistence, intense concentration in areas of interest

Some of the affective traits may be:

• Uneven development of mental, emotional, and chronological age
• Heightened sensitivity to interpersonal relationships
• Tendency to challenge authority figures
• High activity level
• Increased intensity of feeling
• Feeling "different" and "alone"
• Tendency to overestimate abilities
• Deep concerns about morality, justice, and world issues