Every day, parents of gifted and high-ability children are faced with new challenges. Navigating these challenges raises many questions, questions with wide, varied and often complex answers. This Frequently Asked Questions resource is the outcome of these ideas, challenges and thinking. It is also a response to the many questions that parents have asked at VAGTC parent seminars in recent years.
The resource is written in simple English with key terms explained. Interrelated questions are cross referenced and links to further resources are provided throughout.
Click on the link below to download your copy:
Welcome to this selection of frequently asked questions from parents (and grandparents) of gifted and high ability children. The questions were asked during seminars delivered by VAGTC for parents over several years up to 2021. The resource is designed to be one that you can dip into depending on your need or curiosity. But feel free to read the whole collection as a book.
VAGTC intends to update and add to this resource in the future; reader suggestions or feedback are welcome! Please contact info@vagtc.org.au.
This resource exists thanks to the contributions of a wide variety of individuals across a number of organisations. We acknowledge the input of the many parents and educators who contributed their questions and sought extra explanations where necessary. We extend our gratitude to the parents and families who tested the resource for accuracy, readability and helpfulness. Suggestions and feedback from the Student Excellence Unit of DET was greatly valued.
Project Coordinator: Kathy Harrison
Writers: Dr Susan Nikakis, Dr Anna Pollard
Editor: Amy Horneman
©2021 Victorian Association for Gifted and Talented Children
Distribution permitted under acknowledgement of VAGTC’s rights to the publication in its entirety 2/3 Wellington Street, Kew, Victoria, 3101
www.FaceBook.com/VAGTC, Twitter @VicAGTC, www.VAGTC.org.au
VAGTC has run many series of parent and educator seminars in partnership with the Department of Education and Training Victoria over the last 5 years. Throughout this time, it has become apparent that a parent resource to support parents of gifted and
high ability children was desperately needed. Everyday parents of gifted and high ability children are faced with new challenges. Navigating these challenges raises many questions, questions with wide, varied and often complex answers. This Frequently Asked Questions resource is the outcome of these ideas, challenges and thinking. It is also a response to the many questions that parents have asked at VAGTC parent seminars in recent years.
I thank the Department of Education and Training for their generous support and input during the compilation of this resource. Thanks also to the parents, Jeff Segal, Lauren Segal, and Carolynne Cormack who reviewed the resource upon completion, providing valuable input and feedback. I would also like to acknowledge the writers, Dr Anna Pollard and Dr Susan Nikakis for their research and expertise, and the Chief Editor, Mrs Amy Horneman for her analysis, insights and responses to departmental and parent feedback. Many thanks also to Ms Kathy Harrison, current VAGTC president, who coordinated the writing process over many months from planning and commencement to conclusion and publication.
I hope that this resource delivers useful assistance to the many parents of gifted and high ability children across Victoria. We look forward to developing subsequent editions of Frequently Asked Questions and would welcome any reader feedback.
Mr Mark Smith
VAGTC President (2018-2021)
All children are certainly gifts to their parents. We aim to help our children to understand themselves so that they can keep growing and learning. Sometimes that is at a different rate and in a different way to other children of their age. If you look at the definition below it may make the term gifted easier to understand.
Gifted children come from all walks of life, no matter what cultural or racial group they belong to. Sometimes people use the terms high ability, highly able or high potential to describe gifted children.
There is no single definition of giftedness accepted by all people, but in Australia a very popular definition comes from Canadian psychologist Françoys Gagné. He has developed a theoretical model which defines ‘gifts’ as untrained abilities a person naturally has. Giftedness means someone has these natural abilities or natural potential which place them in the top 10% of ability in the population in that particular area or category. With learning, practice and training, these abilities can be developed into talents. In other words, giftedness refers to the potential that a person has to learn quickly so that they can go on to develop talents.
Giftedness can be placed broadly in the following categories:
Image: Gagné’s Differentiating Model of Giftedness and Talent
https://www.gigers.com/matthias/gifted/gagne_dmgt.html
Related questions: What is the difference between ‘gifted’, ‘highly able’, and ‘talented’?, What percentage of the population is gifted?
The most obvious signs of giftedness in any area are that your child:
Learning quickly means that where most people would need to practice and repeat a skill many times to learn it, a gifted person would only need to repeat it a couple of times. They may be able to transfer skills easily, for example, the child who has learnt to play one musical instrument but then picks up other unfamiliar instruments and knows how to reach proficiency quickly.
Making connections can be that your very young child can understand that the hose and running water can be connected, or that a bucket and spade may mean a trip to the beach. Your much older child might easily make connections between one chemistry equation and something they are reading in a history book.
Gifted children often reach common milestones like talking, walking, learning to read earlier than other children. Older children may need more complexity at school as they learn easily and do not require a great deal of repetition.
You also may suspect that your child is gifted if they are showing outstanding ability in one or more areas. The following list contains some other characteristics that you might observe in your child. No child will have all of these characteristics, but they are a good guide. Your child might:
Learn rapidly
Have an extensive vocabulary
Have an excellent memory
Reason well
Show a great deal of curiosity
Be mature for their age
Have a well developed sense of humor
Have keen observation skills
Show compassion for others
Have a vivid imagination
Have a long attention span
Have strong ability with numbers
Be concerned with justice and fairness
Have a great deal of sensitivity
Have a wide range of interests
Show strong ability with and interest in puzzles
Have high energy levels
Struggle with perfectionism
Show perseverance in areas of interest
Question authority
Be an avid reader
Prefer older companions
Characteristics of Giftedness Scale: Linda Kreger Silverman
Ability: capacity that an individual is born with in some area of human endeavour
Acceleration: progress through an educational program at rates faster or ages younger than conventional
Ability grouping: grouping students of similar ability (general or subject-specific) together for learning and teaching activities
Ability testing: using assessment tools or observation to discover an individual’s natural capacity
Achievement: an individual’s performance in a particular area of human endeavour
Assessment tools: testing that has standardised measures, processes and outcomes, for the sake of measuring ability and achievement
Asynchronous development: two or more aspects of development that do not exist or happen at the same time
CoAT: Cognitive Abilities Test
Dual/double exceptionality: simultaneously having one or more areas of giftedness with one or more disabling conditions (physical, academic, social, emotional, psychological); also called twice exceptionality or 2e
Forced choice dilemma: perceiving a need to choose between being socially accepted, or achieving highly in academic disciplines
Giftedness: the capacity for high performance, exceptional production, or exceptional learning behaviour in the top 10% of any population
HAST: Higher Ability Selection Test
High ability: having natural ability in an area of human endeavour that is higher than the average population; often used to describe intellectual capacity
Intelligence tests: assessment tools that measure intellectual capabilities, or intelligence quotient (IQ); common tests are WISC-V and Stanford-Binet
KBIT: Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test
Observational checklists: checklists that can be completed by parents, teachers and other professionals that show characteristics of giftedness observed in a child
PAT: Progressive Achievement Test
Psychometric testing: tools that identify and measure an individual’s abilities, skills, knowledge and personality
Ravens Progressive Matrices: assessment tool that scores nonverbal reasoning, or the ability to think or solve problems that are visual rather than based on or communicated with words
Standardised tests: exams administered and scored in a standard, or consistent, manner. Such tests can be given to large groups of students in the same area, state or nation, using the same grading system to enable a reliable comparison of student outcomes.
Synchronous development: two or more aspects of development that occur at an even rate or at the same time
Talent: giftedness that has been systematically developed and given opportunity to show itself in behaviours or actions
Twice exceptionality (2e): simultaneously having one or more areas of giftedness with one or more disabling conditions (physical, academic, social, emotional, psychological); also called dual/double exceptionality
Underachievement: not performing or achieving at a level that reflects an individual’s innate ability or potential
WISC-V: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children
WPPSI: Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence
Assessment Tools:
DET High Ability Tool Kit:
Set of resources designed to assist teachers in providing for gifted and high ability students. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/high-ability toolkit/Pages/high-ability-toolkit.aspx
Gagné’s Differentiating Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT):
https://gagnefrancoys.wixsite.com/dmgt-mddt
Observational checklists for teachers, parents and other professionals:
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/teachers/teachingresources/div ersity/saylerteach.pdf
content/uploads/2016/08/Saylers-Checklist-for-Parents.pdf
https://www.swasd.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Szabos_J_-
_Bright_Child_Gifted_Learner.pdf
Raising gifted children: https://raisingchildren.net.au/preschoolers/videos/gifted-children This website includes video clips of gifted children and their parents.
Types of giftedness:
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/classrooms/Pages/resourceshighabilitypra cleader19.aspx
Clark, B. (2008). Growing up gifted (7thed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Delisle, J.R. (2018). Doing poorly on purpose:Strategies to reverse underachievement and respect student dignity. Alexandria, V.A.: ASCD.
Sternberg, R.J. (2017). ACCEL: a new model for identifying the gifted. Roeper Rev. 39:152–69.
The task of parenting a gifted child is one that is full of opportunities and can bring many joys as well as many challenges. It helps to know that you are not alone on this journey, as there are some common experiences many parents of gifted children face.
There are many positive and joyful aspects of being a parent of a gifted child. These might include some of the following:
Despite some of the myths around parenting a gifted child, it is not always easy, and there are some unique challenges parents of gifted children face, such as:
Asynchronous development: two or more aspects of development that do not exist or happen at the same time
Growth mindset: an approach to growth and development where individuals believe they can grow their capacity through effort, persistence and a mindset that sees failure and mistakes as a way to learn. This phrase was made famous by Dr Carol Dweck. Related question: What can I do at home to help my child to be the best they can be?
Failing forward: learning to accept failure and learn from it for the purposes of growth and development
Holistic wellbeing: looking at the individual as a whole person and at their wellbeing as incorporating body, mind, soul and spirit in an interconnected way
IB: International Baccalaureate is an internationally recognised educational program, with the diploma qualification substituting national or state senior secondary certificates (VCE, QCE, HSC etc)
IEP/ILP/PLPs: Individual Education Plans, Individual Learning Plans or Personalised Learning Plans are documents which help teachers, parents, students and other professionals put strategies, goals and plans in place to ensure a child’s learning needs are met.
Imposter syndrome: when a person feels the pressure to excel, accompanied by other concerns such as feeling different, having self-doubt, and thinking they need to prove their giftedness, otherwise people will think they are an ‘imposter’ or a fraud
Mindfulness: being aware of one’s current state and concentrating on the present moment, which can help an individual to calm and relax.
Neuroscientific: relating to the science of the brain and how it functions
Openness to experience: a psychological trait or characteristic which is part of the Big Five Personality Theory of Five Factor Theory. People who are open to experience live with deep and complex emotional and mental experiences of the world.
Overexcitabilities: increased sensitivity, intensity and awareness in response to stimuli in a person’s lived experience. Overexcitabilities form part of Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration.
Perfectionism: an unhealthy psychological fear of not being perfect. There is an overwhelming fear of failure or frustration with the imperfections of self and others.
Strengths-based approach: focusing on a person’s strengths, rather than their deficits, and helping them use their strengths to address their deficits for optimal development
Supported failure approach: an approach to parenting, training or educating that allows for failure in a supportive environment, recognising that failure can lead to growth and success if managed well
Synchronous development: two or more aspects of development that occur at an even rate or at the same time
Underachievement: not performing or achieving at a level that reflects an individual’s innate ability or potential
VCAL: Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning, which is completed by students instead of the VCE. This is a trades-based pathway.
VCE: Victorian Certificate of Education, which is usually completed by students in Years 11 and 12 in Victoria who would like to follow a university pathway
Intensity:
https://www.hoagiesgifted.org/sensitivity.htm://www.sengifted.org/post/overexcitability and-the-gifted
Openness to Experience and the Big Five Personality Theory:
https://positivepsychology.com/big-five-personality-theory/
Psychologists and testing: Hoagies Gifted – blog by gifted parents for gifted parents: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/psychologists.htm
Understanding overexcitabilities and strategies for positive growth:
https://www.sengifted.org/post/overexcitability-and-the-gifted
Further Reading
Cross, T. L., Speirs Neumeister, K. L., & Cassady, J. C. (2007). Psychological types of academically gifted adolescents. Gifted Child Quarterly, 51, 285-294. doi: 10.1177/0016986207302723
Csikszentmihalyi, M.(2020). Finding Flow: The Psychology Of Engagement With Everyday Life Psychology Today.
Dabrowski, K., Kawczak, A., & Piechowski, M.M. (1970). Mental growth through positive disintegration. London: Gryf.
Delisle, J.R. (2018). Doing poorly on purpose:Strategies to reverse underachievement and respect student dignity. Alexandria, V.A.: ASCD
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House.
Gallagher, S. A. (2012). Building bridges: Using the Big Five, Jungian type, and overexcitabilities to explore personality differences of gifted youth. In C. S. Neville, M. M. Piechowski, & S. S. Tolan (Eds.)., Off the charts: Asynchrony and the gifted child. Unionville, NY: Royal Fireworks Press, pp. 56-118.
Mullet, D. R. & Rinn, A. N. (2015). Giftedness and ADHD: Identification, Misdiagnosis, and Dual Diagnosis, Roeper Review, 37:4, 195-207, DOI: 10.1080/02783193.2015.1077910.
Kerr, B. A., & McKay, R. (2013). Searching for tomorrow’s innovators: Profiling creative adolescents. Creativity Research Journal, 25, 21-32. doi: 10.1080/10400419.2013.752180
Piechowski, M.M.(2014) Mellow out they say. If only I could. Intensities and sensitivities of the young and bright. (2nd ed.)Unionville,NY; Royal Fireworks Press.
Waters, L. (2017). The Strength Switch. North Sydney, NSW : Penguin Random House Australia.
The schooling years are very important in any child’s life, but there is potential for particularly rewarding learning and growth opportunities at school for a gifted child. A school that understands and caters well for your gifted child can spark curiosity and foster a love of learning all the way through from Prep to Year 12. There are some key questions you can ask your child’s school, and some key ideas you can share, to help your child’s school maximise the years your child is in their care.
Gifted and highly able children need support to learn and grow to their capacity, just like all other children. While your child will benefit from special programs for gifted children, such programs are not available in every school. If you are concerned that your child is missing out on important opportunities to develop these skills and to have supported growth as a gifted child, ask the school what they can provide within their regular offerings for all students. This might be a combination of enrichment activities and regular classroom provisions. Related question: What enrichment programs could be offered to my child at school?
Your child’s educational and learning needs can be met in the regular classroom through differentiation of the curriculum, as well as through management of their educational experiences:
Despite some of the myths around parenting a gifted child, it is not always easy, and there are some unique challenges parents of gifted children face, such as:
Acceleration:
http://www.accelerationinstitute.org/Nation_Deceived/Get_Report.aspx ● Iowa Scales (acceleration scales): https://www.accelerationinstitute.org/tools/ias.aspx Department of Education and Training Victoria (DET):
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/high-ability toolkit/Pages/high-ability-toolkit.aspx
Gagné: Building Gifts into Talents: Brief Overview of the DMGT 2.0
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/b64a15_d990e509038044d6a59b648bb9e2c472.pdf GERRIC: Gifted Education Research, Resource, and Information Centre:
education/resources/professional-development-package-teachers
Imposter Syndrome: https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2013/11/fraud
Music education and teen academic achievement:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/the-athletes-way/201906/music-participation-is linked-teens-academic-achievement
VAGTC Resource Book: https://www.vagtc.org.au/product/vagtc-resource-book-8th-edition/
Intensity:
https://www.hoagiesgifted.org/sensitivity.htm://www.sengifted.org/post/overexcitability and-the-gifted
Openness to Experience and the Big Five Personality Theory:
https://positivepsychology.com/big-five-personality-theory/
Psychologists and testing: Hoagies Gifted – blog by gifted parents for gifted parents: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/psychologists.htm
Understanding overexcitabilities and strategies for positive growth:
https://www.sengifted.org/post/overexcitability-and-the-gifted
Gagné, F. (2004). Transforming gifts into talents: The DMGT as a developmental theory. High Ability Studies, 15(2), 119–147. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359813042000314682
Maker, C. J. (1982). Teaching models in the education of the gifted. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Tomlinson, C.A. & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design: Connecting Content and Kids, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, Virginia.
Share This Page
No Spam! Just Relevant News and Offers
© Copyright Victoria Association for Gifted and Talented Children
ABN 93 904 346 898
As part of the VAGTC Membership, You are eligible for Free Membership at the Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented (AAEGT). To Receive this, you agree to pass on to them my email address, contact number, and postal address.