JAMIE L. RUSSELL NOVEMBER 30, 2005 Report on Specific Challenges: Giftedness

What is Giftedness? The U.S. Department of Education’s definition of giftedness:  Gifted and talented children are those identified by professionally qualified persons who by virtue of outstanding abilities are capable of high performance. Children capable of high performance include those with demonstrated achievement and or potential ability in any of the following areas singly or combined:  General intellectual ability  Specific academic aptitude  Creative of productive thinking  Leadership ability  Visual and performing arts  Psychomotor ability New Horizons for Learning

How Early can Giftedness be Detected? Unusual alertness in infancy Less need for sleep in infancy Long attention span High activity level Smiling or recognizing caretakers early Intense reactions to noise, pain, and frustration Advanced procession through the developmental milestones Extraordinary memory Enjoyment and speed of learning Early and extensive language development Fascination with books Curiosity Excellent sense of humor Abstract reasoning and problem-solving skills Vivid imagination (e.g. Imaginary companions) Sensitivity and compassion Early Signs of Giftedness Silverman, 1992

How are Children Tested for Giftedness? Individual Aptitude Test Individual Achievement Test Review of Records Parent Information Teacher Information Phineas David Elementary School

What are the Cultural and Religious Viewpoints? Different cultures provide different tools, Habits, and assumptions that significantly influence human thought and behavior Giftedness is perceived differently from culture to culture Wu, 2005

Challenges that Teachers and Parents of Gifted Students Face Identifying Giftedness Accepting and understanding a child’s giftedness Helping gifted children establish fulfilling relationships Advocating for the gifted child Choosing a program or school for the gifted child Roedell, 2000

Gifted or ADHD? Is Misdiagnosis Possible? Similar characteristics between Giftedness and ADHD  High activity levels  Difficulty paying attention  Difficulty following rules  Social difficulties  Academic underachievement All of these problems stem from a neurobiological abnormality for children with ADHD but not for children who are gifted. Hartnett, 2004; Webb, 1993

What Options are there for Alternative Learning? Gifted programs within the PA Public School System Gifted programs outside the PA Public School System Gifted programs outside PA worth mentioning:  The Lab School, Washington, DC  Evergreen Sudbury School, Hallowell, ME Baltimore Lab School, 2005; Evergreen Sudbury School, 2005; Koetzsch, 1997

Social and Emotional Needs of the Gifted Child Social and emotional traits of giftedness  Divergent thinking ability  Excitability  Sensibility  Perceptiveness  Entelechy Colanfelo, 2004; Hearne, 2005

How Can Teachers and Caregivers Show Support School Psychologist  Provide counseling to students while consulting parents and teachers  Give in-service training to parents and teachers  Re-evaluation Teacher/Caregivers  Provide a natural critical learning environment  Ask questions and provide guidance  Engage students attention and keep them focused  Maintain high expectations  Provide diverse learning experiences

References Baltimore Lab School, The Nov Colangelo, N. Assouline. “A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students.” Iowa City, Iowa: University of Iowa. (2004) Evergreen Sudbury School. “What Kids Do Well Here.” Nov http//members.aol.com/computerus/evergreen/ Hargrove, Kathy. That Makes a “Good” Teacher “Great”? Gifted Child Today. Waco: Winter. 28, 1 (2005): Hartnett, D. Niall, Jason M. Nelson, and Anne N. Rinn. “ Gifted or ADHD? The Possibilities of Misdiagnosis.” Roeper Review. 26, 2 (2004): Hearne, Jill Ph.D. and Barbara Maurer, M. Ed. 22 Sep Koetzsch, Ronald P. Parent’s Guide to Alternative Education. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications, Inc. (1997).

Reference (Continued) New Horizons for Learning Phineas Davis Elementary School Porter, Louise. Young Children’s Behavior: Practical Approaches for Caregivers & Teachers 2 nd edition. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co Robinson, Eric L. “What is the School Psychologist’s Role in Gifted Education?” Gifted Child Today. 25, 4 (2002): Roedell, Wendy C. “How Parents can Help Support Gifted Children.” Kidsource Online. Silverman, Linda K. “How Parents Can Support Gifted Children.” ERIC Digest. (1992). Webb, James T. and Diane Latimer. “ADHD and Children who are Gifted,” Exceptional Children. 60 (1993): 183 Wu, Echo H. “Factors That Contribute to Talented Performance: A Theoretical Model From a Chinese Perspective.” The Gifted Child Quarterly. 49, 3 (2005): 231, 17 pgs.