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Category: Peer Relationships
Communication
Judith Wynn Halsted

Using Books to Meet the Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted Students

The post recommends using children’s books to address gifted students’ social and emotional needs. Reading shared stories lets adults and children discuss issues like feeling different, introversion, perfectionism, and relationships. It guides selecting suitable books, developing thought-provoking questions, and facilitating open-ended discussions in school or home settings.

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Judith Wynn Halsted September 15, 2011
Peer Relationships
Patricia A. Schuler

Teasing and Gifted Children

Gifted children often face teasing and bullying that can cause serious distress, anger, or withdrawal. Parents should recognize signs, validate the child’s experience, teach problem-solving and assertive responses, and work with schools to enforce zero-tolerance policies and provide counseling.

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Patricia A. Schuler September 15, 2011
Communication
J'anne Ellsworth

Adolescence and Gifted: Addressing Existential Dread

Discusses how existential dread affects gifted adolescents and how adults can help. Advocates team approaches—parents, teachers, and peers—to provide social nourishment, emotional acceptance, and philosophical guidance, recognize developmental ambivalence, teach social skills, and offer mentorship to reduce isolation, depression, and suicidal ideation.

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J'anne Ellsworth September 14, 2011
Intelligence
Steven Pfeiffer

Raising a Well-Adjusted Gifted Child:The Value of Promoting Social Intelligence

Clinical cases show intellectually gifted children can lack age-appropriate social skills. Parents can teach social intelligence through clear rules, modeling, empathy conversations and coaching. Early intervention and specific techniques—setting limits, teaching etiquette, tolerance, and how to handle teasing—improve peer relations and reduce behavioral problems.

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Steven Pfeiffer September 14, 2011
Intelligence
Deborah Ruf

If You’re So Smart, Why Do You Need Counseling?

Deborah Ruf examines why Baby Boomers and later generations seek counseling compared with the G.I. generation, using interviews with highly gifted adults. She discusses incidence of abuse, counseling uptake, emotional development, Dabrowski’s theory, and personal narratives illustrating struggles with identity, authority, and growth.

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Deborah Ruf September 13, 2011
Communication
Sharon Lind

Introversion

Sharon Lind urges respect for individual differences and explains gifted introverts are often misunderstood. Introversion differs from shyness: introverts recharge through solitude and process internally, while shy people avoid perceived threats. Introverts may be sociable or shy; they need time alone and understanding from others.

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Sharon Lind September 13, 2011
Peer Relationships
Miraca U.M. Gross

“Play Partner” or “Sure Shelter”: What gifted children look for in friendship

This report summarizes Australian research showing that children’s friendship conceptions develop through five stages—from play partners to intimate ‘sure shelter’—and that intellectual (mental) age, not chronological age, predicts stage. Gifted children reach advanced friendship stages earlier, raising implications for acceleration and ability grouping to reduce social isolation.

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Miraca U.M. Gross May 3, 2002
Communication
Miraca U.M. Gross

Factors in the Social Adjustment and Social Acceptability of Extremely Gifted Children

A longitudinal study of 40 Australian children with IQs 160+ found extremely gifted students retained with age-peers often experienced social isolation, underachievement, and low social self-esteem. Radical acceleration and ability grouping improved acceptance, moral development alignment, and self-esteem. Authors recommend radical acceleration, ability grouping, and individualized instruction for exceptional giftedness.

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Miraca U.M. Gross February 2, 1994