Now, what about the highly gifted- those with I.Q.’s above 160- how are their needs different?

Now, what about the highly gifted- those with I.Q.’s above 160- how are their needs different?

In my early years of working with gifted children, I privately called these highly gifted the “severely gifted” due to their greater difficulty in relating to the regular world. They needed much more intervention from teachers to help them coexist with even their gifted peers. The difference between their intellectual and emotional development was so great that they inhabited a land of ideational shadows that was often more real to them than the person standing right next to them. Their mind’s insatiable quest for information and synthesis of complex concepts blurred their view of reality. Is this something that can be fixed? By fixing it, are we damaging their unique perspective on the world?

We now speak of asynchronous development as an explanation for this manifestation, but the question still remains as to the best way to assist these children to grow emotionally and socially. Gifted programs with flexibility of assignments, GT peer groups, and enrichment programs that allow them to pursue their areas of interest have all shown positive results, yet more needs to be done to assist those who are at the top end of the spectrum.

I saw the most positive growth when a friendship with just one other gifted student developed during the course of working on a project, sharing a new experience such as an interactive field trip, or participating in an interest group such as computers, guitar, or cooking. Acceleration, early college admission, on-line advanced courses can all assist in the intellectual growth of highly gifted children, however, those guiding the intellectual development of these students should not ignore their emotional and social needs for friendship and acceptance, not just mentorship and expectation.