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Giftedness |
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a. Gifted b. Gifted LD c. Savant Syndrome: Congenital & Acquired or Sudden Types |
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Characteristics of Giftedness Giftedness is a state of intellectual development in which advanced abilities are at heightened intensity that combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm.
Some of the earliest signs of giftedness include:
Criteria for Giftedness The title gifted is given to a child who can score more than 130 in a standard intelligence test, such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fourth Edition (SB: FE), and other similar tests of cognitive or intellectual abilities.
Gifted persons also display other talents too: they learn new material quickly and easily, scoring in the upper 1 to 3 percent of achievement tests, and demonstrating the ability to perform various tasks or master various skills at a level noticeably beyond what would be expected at their age level. Academic achievement can be measured with such standardized tests as the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-II).
In addition, teachers may nominate a student for Gifted & Talented Identification. Three of the more popular teacher rating scales designed to identify gifted students are (1) the Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students (SRBCSS; Renzulli et al., 1997; (2) the Gifted and Talented Evaluation Scales (GATES; Gilliam, Carpenter, & Christensen, 1996); and (3) the Gifted Rating Scales (PsychCorp/Harcourt Assessment).
Intervention and Strategies Gifted children generally benefit by spending at least some time in the classroom with children of similar abilities. Their education program should be designed to foster progress at their own rate of development. Parents who become involved with the school can help administrators to be responsive to the needs of these children. Open flexible environments provide students with opportunities for choices, and enhance independence and creativity.
Early entrance and other form of acceleration may be considered when the school gifted program is not sufficiently challenging, or when there is no opportunity for gifted children to be grouped with age peers who are intellectually advanced. Guidelines for acceleration are provided by Feldhusen (1992).
Prevalence and Etiology Gifted people are made, not just born. Parents and educators need to work to send a different message that intelligence and talent are developed through passion, learning, and persistence—and that they value those traits in work rather than “natural,” effortless perfection. They must convey that challenges are fun, the effort involve satisfying, and mistakes are as welcome as clues towards the right direction, and even failures can put people on the path to success. When they do, they will shift the meaning of gifted from something children simply have to something they have the opportunity and the privilege to develop—Carol S. Dweck, PhD.
In addition, parents as well as teachers need to take into consideration the different types of intelligences. An IQ score is not the only determining factor for success. Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligence identifies eight intelligences. These are Spatial, Linguistic, Logical-mathematical, Kinesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, and Naturalistic intelligence. Some gifted students are likely to develop one or more of these intelligences. And, some will be scientists, talented musicians, olympic athletes, or artists.
Caution About 20 percent of children who have been identified as gifted in childhood perform poorly in school and/or in terms of their career while adults. Hollingworth identified three major adjustment problems risked by gifted children (see Witty, 1951). First, they failed to develop desirable work habits in school settings geared to average children's capacities. Second, these children's difficulty in finding satisfying companionship and their consequent social isolation. Emotional vulnerability was a third problem documented by Hollingworth. These children are able to understand and grapple with major philosophical and ethical issues before they are emotionally ready to do so.
References Feldhusen, J.F. (1992). Early admission and grade advancement for young gifted learners. The Gifted Child Today, 15(2), 45-49.
Carol S. Dweck. (2000). Self-theories: their role in motivation, personality, and development. New York. Psychology Press.
Gardner, Howard. (1999). Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century. New York: Basic Books.
Witty, P. (1951). The gifted child. Boston, D.C. Heath
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Gifted LD |
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Diagnostic Features A gifted LD student is one who has highly developed intellectual, but struggles in school with academics because of some cognitive processing difficulties.
Signs that a child is gifted and learning disabled include:
Diagnostic Criteria Student who are gifted LD are identified with a cognitive ability test, and a test of achievement such as the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Second Edition (WIAT-II). Also, the WIAT-II through its four basic scales: Reading, Math, Written Language and Oral Language will bring out any academic difficulties. Other tests might be necessary to identify the underlying cognitive processing difficulties that subsume these academic weaknesses. These could include: graphomotor, phonemic awareness, auditory and/or visual-spatial sequencing problems.
Intervention and Strategies Special education services are usually not required for gifted LD children. In most cases, once their problem areas have been identified, they are able to come up with their own learning strategies to help themselves overcome their difficulties. They usually cope well in a regular main stream classroom.
However, to further facilitate learning for a gifted LD child, a few techniques could be employed in the classroom. Alternative ways to receive information help gifted LD students considerably. Technology, for instance, is an advantageous, powerful tool which should be employed. It not only helps students academically to organise information and check spelling, but it also boosts students' self-confidence as they do not have to feel the associated frustration with the composition of writing.
Also, gifted LD persons should learn to advocate for themselves. For that reason, sessions where they are encouraged to talk about their abilities and disabilities and how they are dealing with them can be extremely useful. This helps students to communicate how they are feeling, and also encourages them to bond with others who are working through similar situations. In a similar manner, bringing successful gifted LD adults into the classroom can provide students with role models. This verifies the fact that their unique mixture of abilities and disabilities does not interfere with their potential.
Parents can also help their children by making sure they are praised, accepted and love both their child's strengths and weakness unconditionally. Comparisons with other children will only be detrimental as each child is different anyway, and the paradoxes associated with being gifted and learning disabled at the same time only compound these differences. A stimulating and enriching home environment is vital.
References Baum, S. M., & Owen, S. (2004). To be gifted and learning disabled: strategies for helping bright students with LD, ADHD, and more. Mansfield Center: NJ. Creative Learning Press, Inc.
Weinfeld, R., Jeweler, S. V. (2007), Barnes-Robinson, L., & Shevitz, B. (2006) Smart kids with learning difficulties: overcoming obstacles and realizing potential. Waco, TX: Prufock Press Inc.
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Savant Syndrome: Congenital and Acquired or Sudden Types |
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Diagnostic Features There are two types of savant syndrome, the congenital and acquired or sudden savant syndrome. The congenital savant syndrome (CSD) is a rare condition in which people with developmental disorders (e.g., autism) have one or more areas of expertise, ability, or brilliance that are in contrast with the individual's overall limitations. The congenital savant differs from the acquired savant in that the latter has an average IQ and adaptive skills. Otherwise, they share many of the prodigious skills that CSD have.
Some of the earliest signs of savant syndrome include:
Diagnostic Criteria The congenital savant syndrome is diagnosed when a child’s ability in one area is exceptionally higher than would be expected given his or her IQ or general level of functioning.
Prognosis The special skill associated with savant syndrome in a specific child is usually present for life. There have been some cases where the special skills were lost due to progress that was gained in other areas.
Etiology and Prevalence About half of all people with savant syndrome have autistic disorder, while the other half has another developmental disability, mental retardation, brain injury or disease. Savant syndrome is six times more frequent in males than females, and this difference is not entirely explained by the preponderance of males in the autistic population.
Reference Treffert, D.A. (2010). Islands of Genius: The Bountiful Mind of the Autistic, Acquired, and Sudden Savant. New York, NY: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
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