This article examines educational acceleration for gifted students, outlining options (grade-skipping, subject acceleration, enrichment), evidence of academic and social benefits, and potential gaps or risks. It recommends individual assessment, parental and school collaboration, careful planning, and continuity to support successful transitions.
An interview with Dr. Vidisha Patel discusses behavioral and social-emotional challenges for gifted children. She advises parents to prepare and role-play, teach emotional vocabulary, model behavior, involve children in social activities, seek outside guidance, and practice patience while balancing appropriate expectations and self-esteem development.
This essay argues that giftedness is an enduring mode of mental processing, not merely childhood precocity. Adults with gifted minds often face emotional intensity, social isolation, and frustration when society equates giftedness with visible achievement. Greater recognition and support beyond performance metrics are needed.
This article reviews sensory integration theory and its application to gifted and twice-exceptional children. It describes sensory integrative dysfunctions (dyspraxia, sensory modulation disorders), discusses limited research on interventions, and recommends education, sensory diets, and cautious occupational therapy tailored to gifted children.
Using a cheetah metaphor, the essay argues that schools often misidentify and restrict highly gifted children by equating giftedness with achievement. Without proper challenge, space, instruction and support, exceptional children’s potential can be stifled; educators must recognize diverse talents and provide appropriate opportunities for development.
This article summarizes observations comparing exceptionally and moderately gifted children, describing cognitive differences such as advanced abstract reasoning, precision, exceptional memory, empathy, immersion learning, and early problem formulation. It argues that exceptionally gifted children have distinct developmental needs often unmet by standard schooling, risking social and emotional difficulties.
Silverman argues gifted children often display heightened moral sensitivity, intensity, and asynchronous development. Drawing on Dabrowski and others, she links cognitive complexity to empathy and ethical concern, warns that societal pressures may desensitize gifted youth, and urges nurturing their moral and emotional development rather than focusing solely on talent.
Parents and educators should align expectations to support gifted children’s development. Gifted students need appropriate academic pacing, diverse reading material, arts exposure, peers of similar ability, and a nurturing environment that values talents, encourages exploration, tolerates mistakes, and channels perfectionism into productive behaviors.
An interview with psychologist Sylvia Rimm explores perfectionism in gifted children: its forms, when it becomes an emotional or social problem, and practical advice for parents and teachers. Topics include moderating praise, encouraging effort over perfection, counseling when needed, and gender differences.
An interview exploring social and emotional needs of gifted individuals. Jean Sunde Peterson discusses issues such as bullying, isolation, perfectionism, sensitivity, developmental challenges, gender differences, guidance counselor and family roles, and the needs of highly gifted youth. She recommends psychoeducation, compassionate support, and targeted school guidance.
