What makes a young genius?

“After charging my supercapacitor for 20-30 seconds, I was able to light an LED device – and that’s an amazing accomplishment”. These are the words of young genius Eesha Khare, 18, from California, after winning the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award of $50,000 for her breakthrough gadget.

Eesha’s invention is able to pack energy into a far smaller space compared with other charging devices. As the energy is crammed into the tiny space, it becomes more efficient in charging the phone. After 20-30 seconds, a device can be fully charged. It can also last up to 10,000 cycles, compared to 1,000 cycles of a regular phone charger.

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A problem worth fixing

So what inspired this girl to create such an incredible invention? Was it pushy parents and a strict education, or a desire to be rich and famous? Actually it was none of the above. Her inspiration came from something much closer to the average teenager’s heart – a passion for phones! Eesha explained to NBC news: “My cell phone battery always dies”.

See Eesha’s reaction to scooping her award in this video:

What makes a young genius?

There is no secret answer to raising a child prodigy. Most of it is down to nature, and let’s face it, nobody wants to be like those pushy parents that spend every minute of parenthood encouraging/pushing/forcing their child to become the next Bill Gates (although the extra financial support would come in handy).

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In actual fact, most of the time that parents believe that their child is a young genius, they are sadly wrong. Toddles often develop cognitive skills ahead of others, giving parents the false belief that they have the next Einstein on their hands.

That said, if your toddler is displaying a number of the following intelligence traits, their IQ may well be above average:

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·         Language development far ahead of others their age

·         Ability to recall what has seen and heard easily

·         Reaches basic developmental milestones far ahead of others their age

·         Expresses intense interest and ability in a given area (music, art, science, a sport)

·         Very active, but not hyperactive

·         Attention span far longer than others their age

·         Curious, inquisitive and catches on quickly and easily

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Your responsibility

Young genius or not, every child has unique skills and talents. It is your responsibility as a parent to nurture these strengths in a responsible way. Here’s our do’s and don’ts:

DO

· Encourage curiosity.

· Provide every opportunity for them to learn new things.

· Seek professional advice if your child is displaying a particularly advanced skill.

· Allow your child to express their talents and interests, whatever they may be.

DON’T

· Push your child’s talent too far. Let them enjoy whatever they’re good at instead.

· Ignore any social difficulties your child may be showing.

· Pressure your child with aspirations of them becoming rich and famous.

· Focus on one talent, whilst disregarding their other skills.