WHAT IS GIFTEDNESS?

At its core, giftedness is a brain-based difference that

contributes to our vibrant and neurodiverse world. This
neurological difference means that profoundly gifted
students experience a different intellectual, academic, and
social-emotional development trajectory than neurotypical
individuals. These differences are detailed in “The
Neuroscience of Giftedness,” a series of articles
from GRO, the Gifted Research and Outreach
organization.
To quote a beloved leader in gifted education, Dr. Jim
Delisle, “Giftedness is an innate ability to both detect and
comprehend the world in complex ways that differ
significantly from age-expected norms.” (Understanding
Your Gifted Child from the Inside Out, p8). Importantly,
Delisle makes the distinction that giftedness is not always
apparent just from looking at a student’s achievements.
This is often a source of tension when advocating for the
highly gifted child who may appear average, or even below
average, in school.  Parents and educational professionals
often hear the same myths about gifted students and must
take the extra step to educate themselves on giftedness in
order to better serve the needs of this population.
Like most people, highly capable students are unique
individuals with varied and multifaceted talents and
interests. Some demonstrate mastery in multiple areas
while others excel in a single subject. Gifted identification
often relies on a mix of gifted testing and more qualitative
observations of gifted characteristics and behaviors.
There are many definitions of giftedness, none of which
are universally agreed upon. Depending on the context,
definitions often guide and influence key decisions in
schools such as determining the eligibility and criteria for
gifted education programs and services, what areas of
giftedness will be addressed (e.g., specific abilities in a
subject area such as math), and when the services will be
offered. As parents of gifted students or professionals who
work with gifted children, it is important to understand
the different definitions and what they mean in order to
provide the appropriate guidance and support needed for
social-emotional development.

FEDERAL DEFINITION OF
GIFTEDNESS
According to NAGC’s article on Definitions of Giftedness,
“the term gifted and talented means students, children, or
youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in
such areas as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership
capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need
services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school
in order to fully develop those capabilities.”

CHARACTERISTICS OF
GIFTED CHILDREN
 Ability to comprehend material several grade levels above their

age peers
Surprising emotional depth and sensitivity at a young age

Strong sense of curiosity

Enthusiastic about unique interests and topics

Quirky or mature sense of humor

Creative problem solving and imaginative expression

Absorbs information quickly with few repetitions needed

Self-aware, socially aware, and aware of global issues


The National Association for Gifted Children lists 0additional traits of

giftedness that parents may find useful. Of course, each gifted student
is unique, and they may present with a mix of these traits or only two
very intensely or perhaps you find that none of them at all fit.

SOME OVERARCHING
CHARACTERISTICS -
PROFOUNDLY GIFTED
CHILDREN
Profoundly gifted individuals score in the 99.9th percentile
on IQ and achievement tests and have an exceptionally
high level of intellectual prowess.
Characteristics of profoundly gifted individuals may include:

 Rapid Comprehension: An advanced ability to learn

and process information rapidly, combined with a
need for constant mental stimulation; profoundly
gifted students often work at a different pace than
neurotypical peers–going far ahead or pausing to dive
deeply in areas of interest.
 Intuitive Understanding of the Basics: Difficulty

concentrating on tasks that are not intellectually

challenging, including repetitious materials or rote
tasks; profoundly gifted children often need less
practice to master an idea or concept.
 Tendency toward Complexity: A need to understand
the “big picture” of what they are learning; they may
ask endless “why” questions or prefer to learn whole-
to-part rather than part-to-whole.
 Need for Precision: An appreciation for nuance and a
need for precision in thinking and expression; they
may often respond to questions with “that
depends…” and they may struggle with multiple
choice assessments that ask them to make definitive
decisions without an extensive contextual background
to questions.
 High Expectations: A tendency to hold themselves

and others to high standards, which can sometimes

present as perfectionism or a very defined sense of
justice; this may lead to challenges when
understanding rules set by others or interacting with
same-age peers who don’t hold the same standards.
  Divergent Interests: A vivid imagination and niche
interests may make it difficult to connect with same-
age peers; profoundly gifted students may seek out
older children or adults who share their interests, or
they may connect with younger children who are
flexible in their thinking and engage in imaginational
pursuits.
Oftentimes profoundly intelligent young people are not
properly identified and, thus, do not receive an
appropriately challenging education. Research shows this
can lead to underachievement or even dropping out of
school – studies indicate that 40 percent of all gifted
students may be underachievers (Handbook of Gifted
Education, p. 424). The Davidson Institute exists to help
these young, bright children gain recognition in the
national conversation around giftedness and works
directly with families to help them reach their potential.

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL

ISSUES
Because gifted children demonstrate greater maturity in
some domains over others, they may be at greater risk for
specific kinds of social-emotional difficulties if their needs
are not met.
These aspects may include heightened awareness,
anxiety, perfectionism, stress, issues with peer
relationships, and concerns with identity and fit.   Parents,
adults, and caregivers in their lives need to stay in tune
with their specific child's needs, and help shape a strong
framework for social-emotional health.
 Common social and emotional experiences which gifted
children can reflect:

1. differences in their abilities compared to same-age

peers
2. tendencies toward introversion and perceived issues
with social acceptance
3. conflicts or anxieties associated with their inner
experiences of giftedness
4. a critical and self-critical nature, often resulting in
perfectionism or low self-worth
It is clear that there is no single manner in which a child
can be gifted. Emotional and social difficulties vary, also,
from one gifted child to another. These difficulties have
their roots in asynchronous development. Gifted children
have emotional, physical, and intellectual development
that are not equal; not in 'sync' according to Miraca
Gross, director of GERRIC (Gross, 2001).

Academically gifted children have an intellect above their

emotional and physical age level. An intellectually gifted 5-
year-old may have the intellect similar to that of an 8-
year-old, emotional development similar to a 3-year-old,
and physical development on par with a 6-year-old. The
higher the intellect, the more out-of-sync with emotional
and physical development they may be.

A gifted child understands concepts that he is not able to

deal with emotionally. Death, the future, or world hunger
may become overwhelming concerns. Situations like this
can create frustration and distress.
 SUPPORTING GIFTED
CHILDREN
Gifted children need support for both academic and
social-emotional development. The traditional classroom
can be a poor fit if gifted students aren’t challenged
appropriately. That’s why it’s important to look to gifted
services in your local area. Depending on where you live
and which school district you are in, this might include
ability grouping, gifted pull-out classes or access to gifted
public schools. Outside of school, gifted programs may
offer gifted students the chance to further explore a
unique subject of interest, or they can provide a place to
form social connections with intellectually-similar peers.

DOES GIFTEDNESS GO
AWAY?
Does Giftedness Go Away?

Giftedness does not go away. However, a gifted child’s

gifts and talents may be suppressed or go unnoticed. This
may be caused by inaccurate identification or “masking”
when a child hides behind certain aspects of their
giftedness that may cause them not to be identified. Here
are some gifted characteristics that can make
identification difficult:
Asynchronous Development
Asynchronous development refers to uneven development.
In the case of gifted children, many perform at a high level
 in one or more areas but they may be functioning at a
much lower level socially and emotionally. Children who
are gifted may act immature for their ability.
Lack of Study Skills
Gifted children often struggle later in school because they
tend to have poor study skills. They may pass through
elementary and middle school without having to study
much but once they enter high school and college, gifted
students may not be equipped to handle the rigors of
higher-level course work.
Underachievement
Gifted students may show great academic promise but still
perform below what is expected based on the child’s
ability. There are many causes as to why gifted students
may underachieve. Some of the reasons include:
 Special needs or twice exceptionality
 Lack of motivation

 Psychological issues such as perfectionism and

anxiety
 Depression

Intervention is often needed to reverse gifted

underachievement. It is important to work with the gifted
child to figure out what exactly is causing
underachievement. If the child is not being challenged
adequately, focus on cultivating the child’s strengths and
talents. Counseling services can also be helpful, allowing
the child to confide in someone they can trust. Parents
must also work with teachers to understand the learning
styles and preferences of the gifted learner and challenge
them to maximize their potential.
 THEORY OF MULTIPLE
INTELLIGENCES
Howard Gardner proposed the theory of multiple
intelligences. According to him, intelligence is not a single
entity; rather distinct types of intelligences exist. Each of
these intelligences are independent of each other. This
means that, if a person exhibits one type of intelligence, it
does not necessarily indicate being high or low on other
types of intelligences. Gardner also put forth that different
types of intelligences interact and work together to find a
solution to a problem. Gardner studied extremely talented
persons, who had shown exceptional abilities in their
respective areas, and described eight types of intelligence.
These are as follows:
Linguistic (skills involved in the production and use of
language): It is the capacity to use language fluently and
flexibly to express one’s thinking and understand others.
Persons high on this intelligence are ‘word-smart’, i.e.
they are sensitive to different shades of word meanings,
are articulate, and can create linguistic images in their
mind. Poets and writers are very strong in this component
of intelligence.
Logical-Mathematical (skills in scientific thinking and
problem solving): Persons high on this type of intelligence
can think logically and critically. They engage in abstract
reasoning, and can manipulate symbols to solve
 mathematical problems. Scientists and Nobel Prize
winners are likely to be strong in this component.
Spatial (skills in forming visual images and patterns): It
refers to the abilities involved in forming, using, and
transforming mental images. The person high on this
intelligence can easily represent the spatial world in the
mind. Pilots, sailors, sculptors, painters, architects,
interior decorators, and surgeons are likely to have highly
developed spatial intelligence.
Musical (sensitivity to musical rhythms and patterns): It is
the capacity to produce, create and manipulate musical
patterns. Persons high on this intelligence are very
sensitive to sounds and vibrations, and in creating new
patterns of sounds.
Bodily-Kinaesthetic (using whole or portions of the body
flexibly and creatively): This consists of the use of the
whole body or portions of it for display or construction of
products and problem solving. Athletes, dancers, actors,
sportspersons, gymnasts, and surgeons are likely to have
such kind of intelligence.
Interpersonal (sensitivity to subtle aspects of others’
behaviours): This is the skill of understanding the motives,
feelings and behaviours of other people so as to bond into
a comfortable relationship with others. Psychologists,
counsellors, politicians, social workers, and religious
leaders are likely to possess high interpersonal
intelligence.
Intrapersonal (awareness of one’s own feelings, motives,
and desires): This refers to the knowledge of one’s internal
 strengths and limitations and using that knowledge to
effectively relate to others. Persons high on this ability
have finer sensibilities regarding their identity, human
existence, and meaning of life. Philosophers and spiritual
leaders present examples of this type of intelligence.
Naturalistic (sensitivity to the features of the natural
world): This involves complete awareness of our
relationship with the natural world. It is useful in
recognising the beauty of different species of flora and
fauna, and making subtle discriminations in the natural
world. Hunters, farmers, tourists, botanists, zoologists,
and bird watchers possess more of naturalistic
intelligence.

BIBLIOGRAPGHY
 https://ncert.nic.in/ncerts/l/lepy101.pdf
 https://www.childpsychologist.com.au/resources/
gifted-children-and-their-social-and-emotional-
difficulties
 https://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/
resources-parents/social-emotional-
issues#:~:text=These%20aspects%20may%20include
%20heightened,framework%20for%20social
%2Demotional%20health.
 https://www.davidsongifted.org/prospective-families/
gifted-traits-and-characteristics/
 https://www.kaplanco.com/ii/gifted-students
 https://raisingchildren.net.au/preschoolers/play-
learning/gifted-talented-children/supporting-learning