In honour of gifted Awareness Week 2026, the committee will be hosting a Reading group discussion.
The article under consideration is ‘Giftedness: Is there a Case for Neurodivergence?!’ by M. Wellisch, which can be found in the latest issue of the Australasian Journal of Gifted Education (vol.35 No.1, June 2026). Wellisch argues that giftedness is not a neurodivergence.
She discusses the historical trends towards associating giftedness with mental illness, social and emotional problems, overexcitabilities and neurodivergence, identifying key theories that have contributed to this trend. Then she shares research (including statistics) revealing that gifted primary students are typically more popular than their peers, and the number of gifted students with ASD or ADHD or SLD is actually very low compared to their peers. She also discusses the political movement around neurodiversity that has arisen out of disadvantage and prejudice and explores brain differences. Her conclusion is that ‘a close look at Doyle’s (2020) neurodiversity model reveals why giftedness is a bad fit: it includes only those who have clinical or acquired illnesses, mental and behavioural conditions, or learning disabilities.’ (p.36).
It is bound to generate some really interesting discussion; we hope you can join us!
There is no cost for this event.
The article will be emailed to those who register closer to the event.
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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.
