Identifying giftedness in children is one of the most challenging and elusive issues facing parents and educators today, in my opinion. How do classroom teachers who are seriously busy with 20+ children for whom they must teach, prepare for standardized tests, remediate, extend, and identify learning issues for, find any time to meet the needs of the uniquely gifted child? Is it their job or should it be someone else’s? What about the difference between those who simply love learning and need that little extra versus the child whose giftedness is a distraction to the classroom setting? Is there a support system in place for the gifted with clearly defined steps of progression for services to meet the child’s needs, just as there are for the struggling child?
My position is that there is NOT a consensus on any of these issues nationwide, statewide, district-wide and sometimes not even school wide. Phrases like, “we support the continued growth of all children in a way that best fits their needs” is seriously ambiguous and provides NO accountability for those entrusted with teaching and leading our children. Consider parents who have students in a school system who are in need of dyslexia support, behavior management training, or speech development. They will tell you unequivocally that they fight for their kids to receive the help they need to be successful. It’s there alright, but it’s something parents have to stay involved in and on top of routinely. Which is totally okay, because your kids need you to be involved in their education.
I propose that the same situation exists for the kids on the other end of the educational spectrum. Having gifted children is not the breeze that some believe it is. They are a joy and a delight, don’t get me wrong. But they also require attention, redirection, extension, and services beyond the classroom to reach their potential. Or perhaps more importantly, so they aren’t lost to “the dark side” becoming a class clown or worse, a dropout. It’s a collaborative effort between parents, teachers, counselors, maybe diagnosticians to unpack the talents and abilities a gifted child possesses as well as the skills he lacks and desperately needs to develop, in order to function in this world. The terms “autism spectrum” and “twice gifted” come to mind. In these formative educational years, gifted kids are at just as much risk of failure as their learning challenged counterparts if they aren’t placed in their optimum learning environment and able to count on a support network from home.
How do you know if your child is where they should be? I mean, really know? The only truthful answer is, it’s complicated. Stay involved. Listen to your child. Listen to her teachers. Grades and academics are indicators usually, but so are products, creativity, leadership, IQ, self-motivation, life experiences…the list could go on and on. How do different folks perceive your child in different environments? How does your child behave or interact in given situations. Can we as adults, look past the immaturity and see the diamond in the rough? If you’re ready to throw up your hands and say, “This is too hard to figure out!” then you see my point. It is hard. While in the midst of that emotion, can you also see that gifted kids find life so stressful, people so exhausting, and new experiences so unnerving due to their unique view of the world, that they do indeed need help, in the form of direction, nurture, encouragement, decision making skills and successful experiences to spring board them into a fulfilling life? Then I rest my case.
What do you think are the greatest needs facing the gifted child? What indicators do you think are most accurate for identifying giftedness?
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