Most human beings have a tendency to assess things from the outside in, using measurable external factors such as performance and achievement to ascertain how intelligent (or “gifted”) a person is. Indeed, the standardized psychological tests used to detect giftedness entirely overlook the behavioural and emotional aspects of giftedness.
This sets up a damaging precedent, one that leads to gifted children being judged by their achievements more so than by who they are. The perception of giftedness thereafter hinges on grades, awards, scholarships, career goals, and eventually, wealth and success—turning giftedness into something that essentially resides outside of the individual, something that can be lost if not maintained by a steady stream of accolades.
This, of course, obscures the reality of what giftedness is; it's an indelible internal property marked by mental processing that falls outside of what we consider to be normal parameters. It does not fluctuate due to situational factors as a person's level of achievement might (for example, a student's level of achievement may be impacted by a poor teacher, by the student going through loss, grief, or stress at home, physical health, and many other possible circumstances). As such, achievement should be seen as merely an expression of giftedness, rather than a determiner of it.
Regardless of the gifted individual's current situation in life, he or she dwells in an emotional and behavioural world that is different to the norm. This often includes heightened emotional intensity, the ability to understand and tolerate a great deal of complexity and paradox, and a keen awareness of his or her own potential for moral development.
This emotional schema has a diverse effect on performance; it may help gifted children master various tasks, or it may hinder their success. Factors in the environment—notably how well children are guided and understood by the adults around them—have a profound influence on whether this different emotional reality enhances performance, or detracts from it.
Adult support is often key to the gifted child not becoming overwhelmed by the complexity she (or he) is able to perceive in the world around her; it usually makes the difference between a child hiding from these complexities (thus limiting her own potential) and embracing them (therefore tapping into her fullest potential).
It is imperative that adults not get so caught up in valuing the products of gifted children's unique mental capacities that they forget to value the traits that come with it—or worse, start to see them as an inconvenience. A gifted child's terror regarding the impact technology is having on the Earth's environment, for example, will often be scoffed at as foolish and excessive (and attempts to act on the fear derailed), while his prize-winning essay on the dangers of climate change is praised. This teaches the child that his natural impulses ought to be stifled, while also demanding that he effectively draw on them to achieve—an impossible balance, and one which is invariably damaging to maintain.
This skewed set of values when it comes to how we view gifted children has become so entrenched and endemic that researchers and practitioners have recently devised a more accurate definition of the phenomenon of giftedness:
Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting, teaching and counseling in order for them to develop optimally. (The Columbus Group, 1991).
This view effectively espouses the fact that gifted children are not little adults; they are children—complete with childhood vulnerabilities and naivety—who simply happen to be on a developmental trajectory that differs from the norm. And, like all of those who are developmentally “different”, they encounter additional vulnerabilities whilst trying to navigate mainstream society.
Likewise, this view illustrates that a child being gifted does not guarantee internal synchronicity; there is no certainty that a gifted child will develop cognitively, socially, and emotionally all at the same pace. Indeed, each major area of development will likely progress independently, on its own schedule. Ergo, a parent or educator cannot look at a gifted child's academic abilities and automatically expect emotional maturity that is similarly advanced (for example, a seven year old child who is effectively 15 when it comes to his or her mathematical ability, is quite unlikely to show a 15 year old's maturity when it comes to sharing a treat with a sibling).
The discrepancy between a gifted child's various internal “ages” is often highly problematic, as so much of a child's environment tends to be structured chronologically—a fact which often leads to the child feeling patently unable to “fit in”.
This cannot be remedied via the common approach: Expecting the child to be “normal” in every way outside of his or her academic performance, and assuring him or her that aside from heightened academic abilities, he or she is “just like everyone else”. This tactic only worsens the confusion of the gifted child, who then assumes that what he or she is experiencing is not a result of being gifted, but rather is a result of something being innately “wrong” or “different” about him or her as an individual.
It is far better to try to understand how that child's unique form of giftedness has shaped his or her experience and self. A child whose giftedness manifests primarily in the area of language, for example, will often read voraciously and find material that is meant for those far beyond her age group. This exposes the youngster to adult thoughts, feelings, views, characters, and situations, greatly broadening her horizons. Obviously, this aptitude therefore shapes the child in ways that go far beyond simply having a skill other children do not. The enhanced abstract reasoning ability the child will develop as a result of this propensity for language will carry over into a developmental trajectory that is psychologically unique to her.
If we focus only on this child's skill, rather than her particular experience as a whole and how it shapes her individual psychology, she may grow up condemning the emotional facets of her being that arose from this early exposure to advanced information (a tendency to be anxious or intense, for example, to “over think” things). She will likely carry on the tendency of the adults around her to value what she can do more than who she is.
Understanding giftedness as asynchronous development, an indelible aspect of the self which shapes a child in deep and diverse ways, is therefore necessary to understanding and supporting the gifted child. This will help ensure that he or she lives a life wherein his or her achievements are not undermined by insecurity and internal pressures—a life of balance, pride, and self-acceptance.
You may also be interested in these articles:
- How To Tell Whether Your Child is Gifted
- A Primer on Gifted Assessments
- When Asperger's Syndrome goes Undiagnosed
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