| Differentiating Characteristics |
Examples of Related Needs |
Possible Concomitant Problems |
| Extraordinary quantity of information, unusual retentiveness |
To be exposed to new and challenging information of the environment and the culture, including aesthetic, economic, political, educational, and social aspects; to acquire early mastery of foundation skills |
Boredom with regular curriculum; impatience with "waiting for the group" |
| Advanced comprehension |
To be given access to challenging curriculum and intellectual peers |
Poor interpersonal relationships with less able children of the same age; adults consider a gifted child "sassy" or a "smart aleck"; a dislike of repetition of already understood concepts |
| Unusually varied interests and curiosity |
To be exposed to varied subjects and concerns; to be allowed to pursue individual ideas as far as interest takes them |
Difficulty in conforming to group tasks; overextending energy levels, taking on too many projects at one time |
| High level of language development |
To encounter uses for increasingly difficult vocabulary and concepts |
Perception as a "show off" by children of the same age |
| High level of verbal ability |
To share ideas verbally in depth |
Domination of discussions with information and questions deemed negative by teachers and fellow students; use of verbalism to avoid thinking tasks. |
| Unusual capacity for processing information |
To be exposed to ideas at many levels and in large variety |
Resentment of being interrupted; perceived as too serious; dislike of routine and drill |
| Accelerated pace of thought processes |
To be exposed to ideas at rates appropriate to individual pace of learning-often accelerated |
Frustration with inactivity and absence of progress |
| Flexible thought processes |
To be allowed to solve problems in diverse ways |
Perception by others as disruptive and disrespectful to authority and tradition |
| Comprehensive synthesis |
To be allowed a longer incubation time for ideas |
Frustration with demands for deadlines and for completion of each level prior to starting new inquiry |
| Early ability to delay closure |
To be allowed to pursue ideas and integrate new ideas without forced closure or products demanded |
If products are demanded as proof of learning, will refuse to pursue an otherwise interesting subject or line of inquiry |
| Heightened capacity for seeing unusual and diverse relationships, integration of ideas and disciplines |
To mess around with varieties of materials, ideas, opportunities for multidisciplinary learning; complexity |
Frustration at being considered "off the subject" or irrelevant in pursuing inquiry in areas other than subject being considered; considered odd or weird by others |
| Ability to generate original ideas and solutions |
To build skills in problem solving and productive thinking; to be given the opportunity to contribute to solutions of meaningful problems |
Difficulty with rigid conformity; may be penalized for not following directions; may deal with rejection by becoming rebellious |
| Early differential patterns for thought processing (e.g., thinking in alternatives, abstract terms; sensing consequences; making generalizations; visual thinking; use of metaphors and analogies) |
To be exposed to alternatives, abstractions, consequences of choices, opportunities for drawing generalizations and testing them; to solve problems by use of visual or metaphoric strategies |
Rejection or omission of detail; questions generalizations of others, which may be perceived as disrespectful behavior; considers linear tasks incomplete and boring |
| Early ability to use and form conceptual frameworks |
To use and design conceptual frameworks in information gathering and problem solving; to seek order and consistency; to develop a tolerance for ambiguity |
Frustration with inability of others to understand or appreciate original organizations or insights; personally devised systems or structure may conflict with procedures or systems later taught |
| An evaluative approach toward self and others |
To be exposed to individuals of varying ability and talent and to varying ways of seeing and solving problems; to set realistic, achievable short-term goals; to develop skills in data evaluation and decision making |
Perception by others as elitist, conceited, superior, too critical; may become discouraged from self-criticism; can inhibit attempting new areas if fear of failure is too great; seen as too demanding, compulsive; can affect interpersonal relationships as others fail to live up to standards set by gifted individual; intolerant of stupidity |
| Unusual intensity; persistent goal-directed behavior |
To pursue inquiries beyond allotted time spans; to set and evaluate priorities |
Perception by others as stubborn, willful, uncooperative |
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