How do we speak about Giftedness?

Terminology referring to giftedness varies because the term gifted doesn’t always sit well with people, as if to say one is better than another. This is obviously not the case. Oddly enough, as the Gifted Development Center in Colorado put it, people don’t feel discomfort talking about those with less than average intelligence whereas the notion that individuals may be smarter than us often leaves people feeling insecure, leaving the gifted “lonely in a world of misunderstanding”. It is thus important to acknowledge the whole experience of being gifted because it has implications for all aspects of your life. The notion that being gifted implies something more than others is one-sided. There are a host of issues -particularly in school, professional and social contexts- that can seriously undermine development, deeming giftedness to be quite complex.

Capturing the essence of giftedness in a word or phrase that isn’t laden with preconceived ideas has proven to be challenging given the various terms in use. The term high potential (HP, the French term for giftedness), implies a promise of abundance, yet so many go un(der)recognised and underachieve. The frequently used term talented also imbues manifestation thereof, whereas so many gifted children need real support to get through school. Other phrases like bright and quirky may lighten the mood, addressing not only the propensity for learning but also how they can be perceived as different in society, yet may give insufficient sense of the challenges faced by the gifted. The Columbus Group describes giftedness as asynchronous development (see quote in footer of this page), providing an excellent, thorough description, albeit a bit heavy on the psychological jargon. Further, giftedness as being differently wired speaks to a more physiological/neurological distinction, where the difference is as fundamental as the difference in the color of your hair, your height or the size of your nose. Though, again, without any indication as to implications thereof. Paula Prober, who coined the phrase the rainforest mind, uses an analogy to speak to the whole experience of the gifted as being a beautiful and fragile system with much to offer whilst also being very vulnerable.

The free e-book offered will provide you with some of the vocabulary and references for further reading. Scroll down to the contact form or send me an email requesting the e-book.