One of my sons just told me that they have deduced that their five-year-old daughter has a photographic memory.

I knew she was very smart (as she uses big, difficult words when she talks--and, uses them correctly). But this is something else.

Never being able to forget stuff can be a big burden, as some things you'd just really like to forget (such as a great sadness in your life, or something you did that you'd really like to forget that you ever did it), comes traipsing back to haunt you.

I know my mind sometimes remembers something I did of which I am not proud, and I'd really like to forget.

How about you, fellow RFm sinners?

Psychology today says there no such thing as a photographic memory, so if you're concern is that she won't be able to forget things that cause discomfort, maybe it won't be a real problem.

As for me, I have lots of things in my childhood due to abuse that I prefer not to dwell on. I don't see any real point to doing that.

It may be what's called eidetic memory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eidetic_memory

Google says that between 2% and 10% of children (regardless of gender) have eidetic memories.

My sense is that many gifted kids do have memories which are eidetic in some way (with large variations from individual-to-individual).

Giftedness in children can have many different definitions, but using "big, difficult words...and using them correctly" is recognized as a major indicator of "giftedness" by most any definition.

Usually, eidetic ("photographic") memories refers mainly to images: printed words...manipulating "visual" concepts in space...high-level spatial abilities...detailed memories of actual photos or drawings or writings, etc.

The things you are concerned about (sadness...something you did, or did not do, of which you are not proud, etc.) are about emotions, which (so far as I am aware) are not considered as components of what are generally considered eidetic memories.

It might be true that in some cases, emotions MAY (possibly???) be part of what is considered by laypeople to be eidetic/photographic memories, but if so, I have never heard or read of this...particularly as this phenomena could potentially relate to giftedness.

I think you are talking about pineapples and pomegranates here (in other words: there is no relationship between the two).

If she is gifted, it would help her and the family a great deal if she had support from the larger gifted children's community. In the United States (and probably in Canada as well) there are support systems (play groups; enriched after-school activities; educational field trips) in place to help gifted kids attain their individual potentials and to discover how their own giftedness is expressed and can be most effectively explored.

Google: Mensa gifted youth. One of the things Mensa does best is to support gifted children from infancy through their years of minority, because all Mensa members used to be gifted kids themselves, and from their own personal experiences they know how important this support and enrichment is for the kids involved.

You also need to contact whoever handles gifted children's issues at your local Board of Education and find out what resources are available to her in her local area. Depending on the school system, there may be special classes (including afterschool enriched classes or activities like music, art, STEM activities, etc.)...special tracks (which I very highly recommend for the academic subjects)...and increasingly now: special schools (which is what many of the formerly gifted "tracks" have now evolved into, such as in Los Angeles).

Whatever she has access to, take maximum advantage of.

If she is gifted, she needs to be challenged...she needs to be supported...and she needs to be with other kids like her, as well as with adults who KNOW what it is like to grow up gifted, and who understand how all of this best fits in with the universal child's "job" of being a kid whose main assignment is growing up.

My best wishes go out to her...and to you, her obviously wonderful grandmother!!

:D



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/2017 10:18AM by Tevai.

Is her memory visual or audio or both? What kind of testing has she had done?

We all have memory that goes places we'd really like to forget!
I know mind does and it's really annoying!

I happen to have a very good visual memory for print and places recalling where I saw something, for instance. Totally lacking in directions, however.

My childhood memories are vivid and fixed by trauma. No way am I eidetic. I'd like to forget some of my own actions as an adult, when I should have known better.

Thanks for the link, summer...interesting distinction.

Pollythinks, Did he give you any example(s) of why they believe your granddaughter has a 'photographic memory'?