Identity Development in Gifted Children: Moral Sensitivity
This article examines moral sensitivity in gifted children, describing early empathy, development of moral reasoning, attachment’s role in identity formation, theories of moral development, asynchrony between intellectual and emotional growth, construction of moral paradigms, and implications for adults supporting gifted children’s ethical and emotional development.
An Interview with Adam Blatner: Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted Children, Adolescents, & Adults
Adam Blatner discusses social and emotional needs of gifted children, emphasizing balance between feelings of inferiority and grandiosity, accurate diagnosis and profiling, and attention to context. He highlights issues like boredom, pseudo-ADHD, perfectionism, underachievement, gendered pressures, and the importance of tailored evaluation and support.
Is It A Cheetah?
Using a cheetah metaphor, the essay argues that schools often misidentify and restrict highly gifted children by equating giftedness with achievement. Without proper challenge, space, instruction and support, exceptional children’s potential can be stifled; educators must recognize diverse talents and provide appropriate opportunities for development.
Exceptionally Gifted Children: Different Minds
This article summarizes observations comparing exceptionally and moderately gifted children, describing cognitive differences such as advanced abstract reasoning, precision, exceptional memory, empathy, immersion learning, and early problem formulation. It argues that exceptionally gifted children have distinct developmental needs often unmet by standard schooling, risking social and emotional difficulties.
Gifted Students with Attention Deficits: Fact and/or Fiction? Can We See the Forest for the Trees?
Discusses rising referrals of gifted students for ADHD-like behaviors and argues environmental factors—boredom, inappropriate curriculum, emotional overexcitability, and adult responses—can mimic ADHD. Recommends careful assessment, curriculum adjustment, talent development, and considering both neurological and environmental causes before medication.
Gifted Parenting, An Interview with Vidisha Patel
An interview with Dr. Vidisha Patel discusses behavior and social-emotional development in gifted children. Patel emphasizes planning, role-playing, emotion vocabulary, modeling by parents and teachers, team activities, and seeking outside guidance to balance intellectual needs with social behavior.
An Interview with Christine Fonseca: Social and Emotional and Other Needs of Gifted Children
An interview exploring social and emotional needs of gifted children: school psychologists’ roles, learning styles’ effects, texting and social media, underachievement and perfectionism, teachers’ preparedness, mentorship, and intense emotions. Christine Fonseca recommends strategies and books to help gifted youth manage emotional intensity and develop resilience.
The Moral Sensitivity of Gifted Children and the Evolution of Society
Silverman argues gifted children often display heightened moral sensitivity, intensity, and asynchronous development. Drawing on Dabrowski and others, she links cognitive complexity to empathy and ethical concern, warns that societal pressures may desensitize gifted youth, and urges nurturing their moral and emotional development rather than focusing solely on talent.
Can You Hear the Flowers Sing? Issues for Gifted Adults
This article describes five traits common among gifted adults—divergency, excitability, sensitivity, perceptivity, and entelechy—and examines their positive and negative social and emotional effects. It suggests practical self-growth options such as self-knowledge, acceptance, finding personal power, and nurturing supportive interpersonal relationships throughout adulthood.
Taught in the Crossfire
This article advises parents of gifted children on collaborating with teachers to ensure appropriate challenges. It explains common classroom constraints, suggests constructive communication strategies, and outlines options like acceleration, differentiation, independent study, and learning contracts to better meet gifted students’ needs within mixed-ability classrooms.