What is a Whiz Kid?
A whiz kid is a child or adolescent who demonstrates extraordinary artistic, intellectual or physical abilities far beyond what would be considered normal for his or her age group. A twelve year old boy who graduates from college would be considered a whiz kid, as well as an eight year old girl who can flawlessly perform a complex violin concerto. Although whiz kids can be found in almost every academic, artistic or athletic arena, many people tend to think of a whiz kid as a mathematical or scientific genius, or a freakishly intelligent but socially inept nerd or geek. A whiz kid often lives two separate lives, one as a recognized genius in his or her field and another as a child trying to fit in socially with his or her age group. Too much dedication to one path can cause problems with the other, sometimes creating a self-involved “brainiac” with poorly developed social and physical skills. While this sort of idiosyncratic behavior may be perfectly understandable in a gifted adult, i
