Diving Deep: What is Giftedness?
Highlights:
Giftedness is a social construct; it is not something real
There is no one correct way to define “gifted”
The term “gifted” is only useful insofar as it results in real and beneficial changes in instruction, curriculum, and outcomes for a child
Research supports the importance of identifying gifted students to inform placement in specialized, and often costly, educational programs
Giftedness assessment is best completed by a clinician with strong knowledge of updated research on gifted assessment and an appreciation for the unique characteristics and challenges of gifted children
What is giftedness?
Short answer: It’s complicated.
Long answer: A made up construct to communicate someone has a greater likelihood, when compared to others of the same age, background, and history of opportunities, to demonstrate extraordinary accomplishments in a domain their society values.
More specifically, academic-focused giftedness refers to a student who demonstrates consistently exemplary performance in school, or the potential for such levels of performance, alongside exceptional motivation and interest in academic learning, and who also stands to benefit from specialized instruction for such gifts.
We identify gifted students based on the assumption that, because of their unique abilities and aptitude, specialized educational instruction (i.e., programs, activities, resources) outside of that usually found in a traditional classroom setting is necessary to meet their academic needs and fully tap into their potential.
A Brief History of Giftedness
Early philosophers, including Plato and Confucius, referred to children with exceptional abilities, including the nature of these abilities and opinions regarding how society should continue to foster their strengths as they matured into adults.
Giftedness garnered far greater attention in the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The predominant view at that time, and one that largely persisted into the 1990s, was that high IQ was synonymous with giftedness. In the 1980s and 1990s, a great deal of research was devoted to assessing and identifying gifted students, as well as what forms of educational instruction are most proficient in fostering the unique needs of gifted students.
Based on decades of research conducted by developmental psychologists and across other related disciplines, our understanding of giftedness and what constitutes a gifted child/student expanded in the 2000s. However, most state educational systems remain largely (or solely) aligned with the belief that giftedness is analogous with high IQ, typically an IQ score two or more standard deviations (i.e., >30 points; 130+) above the average (Average IQ = 100).
While Florida’s definition of giftedness considers a student’s demonstrated “need for a special program” and whether they display “a majority of characteristics of gifted students according to a standard scale or checklist,” they also strictly stipulate that a student must also demonstrate “superior intellectual development by an [IQ] score of two standard deviations or more above the mean” (i.e., >130).
Understanding and Conceptualizing Giftedness
Conceptualizing who is gifted, and why, cuts across educational, political, philosophical arenas. In short, there are numerous ways to understand giftedness, and one’s definition and understanding impacts how we think about, evaluate for, and support giftedness in children. Below are three approaches to defining giftedness:
High Intelligence. The defining characteristic of this view is that a child is gifted because they are functioning well above others their age intellectually. A child’s performance on a standardized measure of IQ is the primary, and sometimes only, prerequisite for the giftedness designation. Historically, this view deemphasized the role of acquiring specific skills through learning or lived experience.
Outstanding Accomplishments. This approach recognizes the role of high IQ in learning and accomplishments, though its defining characteristic involves understanding giftedness largely due to advanced academic performance in the classroom and on standardized exams. This view also recognizes and incorporates the role of altitudinal factors (e.g., motivation, grit, persistence, etc.) in understanding a student’s advanced performance academically.
Potential to Excel. This view was developed based on a large body of research suggesting students from unfavorable backgrounds (i.e., raised in poverty, reared in an environment that does not value or promote cognitive or academic stimulation, etc.) are at a disadvantage in developing or ‘tapping into’ their innate gifts. Thus, it assumes that, when provided with specialized educational instruction, these students’ gifts will be realized and they will emerge as gifted, both with regards to their cognitive functioning and academic performance, compared to their peers.
How is Giftedness Assessed?
There is strong agreement among professionals that evaluating a child for giftedness is best completed a clinician, most often a psychologist, familiar and appreciative of the unique characteristics and challenges of gifted children. This appreciation should be grounded in strong understanding of what constitutes giftedness based on both clinical research and their state’s individual educational policies.
Assessment of giftedness should also be guided by what types of programs and resources are available to students who are indeed deemed gifted.
Regardless of individual state policies, best practice in assessing giftedness involves many to all of the following:
Individually administered and standardized assessment of cognitive/intellectual functioning (i.e., IQ test) and academic achievement
Examination of actual school performance, both historically and currently, as well as examination of raw work products
Interviews with parents/guardians, teachers, and, when possible, other collateral informants who can provide input on a child’s abilities (e.g., athletic coaches, music or visual arts teachers, mentors, etc.)
Specialized rating forms completed by relevant adults (and the child, when applicable) and/or targeted testing measures pertaining to a child’s motivation, attitudes toward learning and achievement, competitiveness, self-regulation, frustration tolerance, and personal interests
For Parents
Gifted or not, maintaining a strong understanding of your child’s pattern of cognitive abilities and current academic skillset can help ensure they are afforded appropriate educational supports and stimulating and challenging academic instruction. Children considered ‘twice exceptional’ (i.e., gifted with a disability [e.g., ADHD, learning disorder, etc.]) also stand to strongly benefit from psychological testing, often multiple times throughout their educational career, to ensure their academic needs are met and their disabilities are appropriate addressed/supported.
Furthermore, children who would otherwise qualify for the gifted designation who are not identified as such often feel bored, academically unstimulated, and potentially appear as if they suffer from other issues in the classroom (e.g., behavior or attention-related problems). Indeed, this is a primary reason why identification of gifted students is beneficial.
If you feel your child may be gifted, or are taking necessary steps to enroll your child in gifted educational programming, psychological testing can help aid in this decision-making process while also helping you gain a better understanding of their innate cognitive, academic, and altitudinal strengths.
If you have additional questions about giftedness assessment, how psychological testing can benefit your gifted child, or whether your child may qualify for the gifted designation, feel free to schedule a free consultation call with us here.
References:
Pfeiffer, S.I. (2015). Essentials of gifted assessment. John Wiley & Sons.