Myths about Giftedness

Most of the time, when I talk about my son being gifted, and the challenges it presents, I get a little attitude.  People don't mean to :), but it's there.  Here are some myths about being gifted, and then I've included the truth.

#1 Gifted kids do great in school.

Not usually.  Gifted kids quite often have poor grades, because quite early on, they become bored, and then they become disinterested.  Their grades slip, and they are believed to be of average, or low intelligence.  They start to believe that themselves, and so they never really try again.

#2 Schools differentiate their programs to cater for gifted kids.

No, schools are supposed to differentiate their program to cater for gifted kids.  However, classes usually include the full spectrum of intelligence, and teachers can only do so much with the resources and time they are allocated.  Triage in such situations is essential, and remedial differentiation is placed as a higher priority.

#3 Kids with special needs can not be gifted.

Kids with special needs who are also gifted are quite often known as Twice Exceptional, or 2e kids.  Kids can have a learning disability (such as dyslexia), and also be gifted.  Kids can have a neurological disability (such as Aspergers) and also be gifted.

#4 If a child is gifted, then they also have a good memory.

Intelligence and memory are two different things.  You can be gifted and have a bad memory.  You can have an excellent memory and not be gifted.

#5 Gifted kids need no additional support.

Gifted kids quite often need additional support.  Having the "gifted" label does not define an entire person - there are often other areas in which these kids need help, especially if their giftedness is causing them trouble, such as socially, or behaviourally.

#6 Gifted kids will be socially harmed if they are accelerated at school.

Gifted kids are all different.  Some may be harmed socially, however some will not.  Anecdotally speaking, it seems to me that most do quite fine socially when accelerated.

#7 Gifted kids need to be at the same behavioural level as their new peers if they are accelerated.

This certainly would make things easier for the teacher.  It makes no difference to the child.  Attempting to force the child to mature before they are ready can harm them.  Not accelerating them when required can harm them.  Teachers need to get over it.

#8 Catering for gifted students requires more time and resources than for other students.

So this one may actually be true, in some, and I stress "some", cases.  However, are gifted students not as equally entitled to a suitable education as any other child?


More myths from "C"

1. That gifted children are emotionally immature - in actual fact, unless there is a reason for immaturity (such as a delay or disability), their emotional age and social age is supposed to be closer to their cognitive age than their actual age. Therefore, if this is the reason for holding back or not accelerating, it is BS. Gifted children are sometimes seen to be emotionally immature (especially boys) if they cry, but in actual fact, they cry because they understand far more than the avg child.

2. That everything should come easily to gifted children - not true. Like everyone else gifted children have areas of strength and weaknesses. Their weaknesses may still be stronger than the average child, but it is a relative weakness and those things are relatively harder for these children. They need to be supported in learning to deal with their relative weaknesses.

3. Gifted children are not born, they are created (by tiger parents) - Where do I even begin with this one?!

4. Gifted and talented are the same so we can look for the gifted by identifying high performers - again, not true. So many gifted children under-achieve and are not identified. Not identifying them leads to them growing up as under-achieving, disconnected adults, probably with low self-esteem.

5. G&T is an elitist term, what makes you think your child is cleverer than mine? - G&T is no more elitist than any program or activity identifying the best runners, swimmers, footballers, pianists, singers or violinists. It is identifying an ability - in this case, cognitive or academic - and supporting the development of that ability.