What You May Not Know About the Gifted

Did you know . . .?

  • Gifted and Talented is an at-risk program. Gifted students will not be "just fine" on their own. In the best case, these students are at risk of failing to achieve their potential when their learning and social/emotional needs are not acknowledged and addressed. In the worst case, the consequences may be huge. They need our help to be all that they can be.
  • A person can be gifted AND experience some sort of physical or learning disability - the two are not mutually exclusive. Learn more about Twice Exceptional or 2e.
  • The social and emotional (affective) needs of gifted students are every bit as important to their development as their intellectual and academic needs. Learn more about affective needs.
  • "All children are gifted" or "GT programs are elitist" are just two of the damaging myths that allow us to ignore the needs of students with high potential. Download this article to learn more about these myths.
  • Gifted students usually align to one of 5 profiles. The Successful, The Challenging, The Underground, The Double-Labeled and The Autonomous Learner. While they should be used loosely, the profiles highlight some of the reasons even successful students need support. Download this article to learn more about Betts and Nieman's research.