1 Differentiating features of gifted children and dealing with high IQ societies Marco Ripà sPIqr Society Founder Email: marcokrt1984@yahoo.it Abstract In this paper, we discuss the most important signs which usually reveal gifted children. A pupil, who alternates very smart answers with clear symptoms of being bored, would be a good Mensa membership candidate. A gifted child is able to understand a given topic faster than others of the same age, but their first characteristic/obstacle is the considerable difference between them and the others. This means that gifted children often feel alone, or they prefer to escape into their own world, especially if they do not feel adequate acceptance and love from their family, peers or school. It is really important to make the child feel that their family loves them unconditionally and to provide a challenging environment. In fact, the second feature of gifted children is their hyperactivity, even if this hyperactivity does not always imply giftedness. Finally, the author describes his particular journey from childhood to adulthood, in a country where there are no guidelines for gifted pupils’ education, and where only a small percentage of people are able to understand the meaning of the word "giftedness". This personal journey led him to found the sPIqr Society, with the aim of trying to help gifted pupils inside their home country’s schools. Keywords gifted children; giftedness screening; school; IQ; standardized tests; cheating; Italy.