New outlooks in dealing with gifted children

My sister and I were considered ‘gifted children’ when we were at school; both accelerated up a grade. Whilst we both experienced the usual challenges that one faces in their formative school years–being younger than everyone else posed even more interesting challenges in high school. The outcomes were vastly different for myself and my sister: she has continued to be precociously successful, and meshing well in society; I changed courses several times, ran off overseas, finally found my niche after first seeking ‘independence’ (whatever that truly is).

Now it is suggested that gifted children remain with their age group, and given enhancement and enrichment activities. Agreed, but another though having discussed these current programs with parents who have gifted children: having a supportive schooling environment and available teachers to act as mentors and idea champions for these kids is also crucial.

Because of tightly stretched budgets, pressures on time, and a lack of really good teachers (or any teachers at all–note that primary and secondary education tends to be a pull factor in overseas recruitment), it can be very easy to let gifted children slip through the educational net because they’re already doing well. Children who have learned along the way to be self-motivating and have an environment in which they can seek out their own challenges find their own way to thrive. Those who struggle, or choose not to excel out of rebellion or wanting to fit in with the crowd–and there are a lot of them–find it difficult to reach their potential or to find the niche where they will enjoy it the most–which may not be the conventional academic successes that is usually predicted of gifted students.

For several years I counselled gifted students who made similar choices that I had in high school–to allow the emotional pressure of trying to be a ‘normal’ teenager get in the way of appreciating and valuing their uniqueness. The outcasts, the pariahs, the ‘loners’. If emotional stress does indeed affect decision making, in a turbulent age it can be even more difficult for one to find their way on a path that is right for them, and to understand that there are choices that they can make to learn to appreciate their gifts. Sometimes one just has to grow up an experience the real world to understand the past in its context; sometimes these kids don’t allow themselves that chance.