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Through the lens of giftedness

Linda Kreger Silvermana
a
Licensed psychologist and Director of the Institute for the Study of Advanced Development, Gifted
Development Center, Denver, Colorado

Online publication date: 20 January 2010

To cite this Article Silverman, Linda Kreger(1998) 'Through the lens of giftedness', Roeper Review, 20: 3, 204 — 210
To link to this Article: DOI: 10.1080/02783199809553892
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02783199809553892

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 Through the Lens of Giftedness

Linda Kreger Silverman rewards matter. There is only the deli- 1919), Terman (1916), Hollingworth
cious appreciation of now. Csikszentmi- (Garrison, Burke & Hollingworth,
Linda Kreger Silverman is a licensed psy-
halyi (1990) calls it "flow." 1917), and Witty (1930). They believed
chologist and Director of the Institute for the Cognitive complexity, emotional that giftedness is innate and that it
Study of Advanced Development and its sub- sensitivity, heightened imagination, and affects all aspects of functioning. When
sidiary, the Gifted Development Center, in magnified sensations combine to create we look for talents instead of giftedness,
Denver, Colorado. Editor of Advanced Devel-
opment Journal, she also edited the popular "a different quality of experiencing: the lens is focused on what individuals
textbook, Counseling the Gifted and Talented. vivid, absorbing, penetrating, encom- can do rather than on who they are in
passing, complex, commanding—a way their totality. This perspective diminish-
of being quiveringly alive" (Piechowski, es our capacity to grasp the dynamic
1992, p. 181). An unusual mind coupled inner experience of the gifted Self.
with unusual emotions leads to unusual defined as potential for recog-
G iftedness creates a different
organization of the Self. Impos-
sible dreams are realized, unrealistic
life experiences throughout the life
cycle. A gifted mind is a relentless idea
"nized achievement, giftedness
places a tremendous burden on the Self.
goals achieved, insurmountable obstacles generator that creates more things to do "What if I don't fulfill my potential?"
surmounted by Selves whose vision is a than there are hours in the day. Control- "Will I disappoint my parents? My
more powerful reality than the limita- ling an unmercifully creative mind is like teachers?" "Have I wasted my gifts?"
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tions that most of the world accepts as trying to lasso a bull in an open field: it "Am I unworthy if I fail to live up to my
real. Peak experiences and devastating basically goes wherever it wants! It potential?" "Maybe they're wrong.
lows often come with the territory. Rush- rarely stops to listen to what it already Maybe I'm just a good test taker. Or
es of energy at unpredictable times drive knows. However, when engaged, it has maybe they switched the scores and
gifted adults until they find that note, as the capacity to observe or reflect with have mine mixed up with somebody
Dustin Hoffman so aptly described it profound concentration. And the emo- else's." "I couldn'tpossibly be gifted.
during the 1996 Golden Globe awards. tions of the gifted person are just as
Annemarie Roeper (1991) eloquently
I'm nowhere near as smart as..." This
unruly. Anything worth feeling is worth view of giftedness carries with it the
explains this drive:
feeling intensely. The lens through angst of failure for all those who don't
Gifted adults are often driven by
their giftedness. Gifted individuals do which the gifted Self sees the world is at make it to the top. Moreover, attaining
not know what creates the drive, the once complex and vividly intense. Noth- greatness may bring little in the way of
energy, the absolute necessity to act. ing is simple, bland, or colorless. Every- personal satisfaction, as the biographies
They may have no choice but to thing is electrically charged with rich, of eminent people often attest. A com-
explore, compose, write, paint, develop multicolored layers of meaning. petitive society looks with envy at its
theories...or do whatever else it is that heroes and is preoccupied with predict-
has become uppermost in their minds. ing who might have the potential for
They need to know; they need to learn; Definitions of Giftedness and their
lasting recognition. It is less concerned
they must climb the mountain because Impact on the Self
with the well being of those it esteems.
it is there. This "drivenness," this one- How giftedness is seen by the world
It is little wonder that few children
track-mindedness, may keep them and by one's Self has a dramatic impact
or adults—even the most brilliant—
from sleeping or eating, from engaging on the Self. It is currently fashionable to
in sex or any other normal behavior,
identify with the term "gifted." From
define high ability in terms of "poten-
for the duration of their specific involve- the achievement perspective, giftedness
tial" to become "critically acclaimed
ment. (Roeper, 1991, p. 90) brings with it pressure to succeed, anxi-
performers or exemplary producers of
ety about performance, despair at the
ideas" in adult life (Tannenbaum, 1983,
Is this a drive to achieve? Not nec- odds against becoming famous, shame
p. 86). In National Excellence: A Case
essarily. "They need to know; they need and guilt attendant with the fear of fail-
for Developing America's Talent (Office
to learn; they must climb the mountain ure. To protect one's Self from the
of Educational Research and Improve-
because it is there." The gifted Self is onslaught of such painful feelings, the
ment [OERI], 1993), America was offi-
driven by both curiosity and the need for path chosen by most children and adults
cially notified that the term "gifted" is
expression—in words, art, music, dance, is denial of their giftedness. This means
out and "talented" is in: "The term 'gift-
visual models, mathematical formulas, denying an essential quality of the Self,
ed' connotes a mature power rather than
whatever. Sometimes this drivenness which in turn produces Self-alienation.
a developing ability and, therefore, is
results in accomplishments that every- It also leaves the gifted bereft of any
antithetic to recent research findings
one admires, but more often it concen- positive explanation for their differences
about children" (p. 26). Yet, "mature
trates on activities that have significance and opens the door to a host of negative
power," while possibly applying to
only for the individual: an exquisite labels to fill the gap: overachiever, per-
prodigies, has never been the accepted
flower arrangement, a brilliantly execut- fectionist, workaholic, obsessive,
meaning of the term. The dictionary def-
ed chess move, a fabulous idea, a to-die- teacher pleaser, nerd, weirdo, alien, etc.
inition of gifted—"endowed with a nat-
for chocolate sauce... The elation that Substituting the term talented for gifted
ural ability or aptitude; talented" (Web-
comes from finding "that note," that without changing the context—the
ster, 1979, p. 770)—matches the
word, that move, that brush stroke, that connotation espoused by those who ini-
solution, is indescribable. It is pure tiated the field, such as Whipple (1913;
magic. At that moment, no external Manuscript submitted February, 1997.
Revision accepted January, 1998.

204/Roeper Review, Vol. 20, No. 3

 potential for public acclaim—may be Sensitivity, self-consciousness, self- awareness, understanding, and accep-
more palatable for educators but it has judgment, cognizance of multiple layers tance of the differences inherent in
the same effect on the Self. of meaning, refusal to accept limita- being developmentally advanced, much
The construct of giftedness as asyn- tions, intense feelings, and the ever-pre- of the pain and isolation of being gifted
chronous development (Columbus sent awareness that the gifted Self is not can be healed.
Group, 1991) is an attempt to understand normal are all captured in these few
the phenomenon through the lens of the lines composed by a high school stu- Different Worlds at the Extremes
gifted Self, rather than from the perspec- dent. What does the realization that one of Intelligence
tive of society. It highlights the complex- is not normal do to the Self? Much There are many lessons to be
ity of the individual's thought process, depends on the environment in which
the intensity of sensation, emotion, and
learned about giftedness from a close
that Self must function. examination of the way we view the
imagination, and the extraordinary
awareness that results from this fusion.
Asynchrony also involves uneven devel- I n a family and school in which
individual differences are cher-
ished, the gifted Self will be able to
other end of the intellectual spectrum
(Zigler & Farber, 1985). No one imag-
ines that retardation affects only learn-
opment and feeling out-of-step with
societal norms. A l l of these factors con- honor its uniqueness; in such an atmos- ing rate, but many believe that the gifted
tribute to the vulnerability of the Self. phere, being ordinary is unappealing. are just like everyone else except that
Giftedness is asynchronous devel- "I'd rather die than be like everybody they learn faster. No one suggests that
opment in which advanced cognitive else," exclaims a highly gifted boy. On children who are developmentally
abilities and heightened intensity com- the other hand, when too much empha- delayed are "children first," and that
bine to create inner experiences and sis is placed on the child's fitting in with their delay is irrelevant. However, par-
awareness that are qualitatively differ- others, being normal is elevated to the ents of children who are developmental-
ent from the norm. This asynchrony number one goal in life. And the only ly advanced are frequently admonished
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increases with higher intellectual alternative to normal appears to be to remember that their children are
capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted abnormal. The dread of abnormality can "children first," as if the giftedness
renders them particularly vulnerable be so overwhelming that the gifted may were tangential to parental decisions.
and requires modifications in parent- feign normalcy, deny their differences, No one assumes that people outgrow
ing, teaching and counseling in order and hide their rich inner worlds from retardation. Yet, I've heard many adults
for them to develop optimally. (The ridicule. It is not safe to name their dif- say, "/ used to be gifted."
Columbus Group, 1991). ferences giftedness, because it is not Developmentally advanced and
This is a phenomenological rather than a permissible to say—even to one's Self— developmentally delayed children are
utilitarian perspective; that is, it focuses "I am gifted." Parents are told not to tell both asynchronous; their development
on the conscious experience of the gift- their children they are gifted for fear (e.g., cognitive vs. physical develop-
ed rather than on their usefulness to that they will feel superior to others, ment) is markedly uneven, and they are
society. leaving children on their own to inter- out-of-sync with agemates and expecta-
Giftedness in this sense implies an pret their experiences: "I'm not like tions of society for their age group. The
advanced ability to construct meaning everybody else. I'm strange." "Imust more they veer in either direction from
in the context of experience, including be crazy."
the enhanced capacity to think the norm, the greater the asynchrony,
abstractly and to respond emotionally Some gifted children learn very both internally (in terms of the uneven-
to abstract concepts used in the inter- early in life to play the game. They ness of their development) and external-
pretation of experiential phenomena. reject their inner Selves and pretend to ly (in terms of their ability to fit in with
Importantly, giftedness pervades the agemates). Cognitive and emotional
whole of one's intellectual, social and
be someone they are not so that they are
emotional reality. (Morelock, in press, more acceptable to others. In Elizabeth complexity also vary as a function of the
p. 3). Drews' (1972) words, "Our children are degree of difference from the norm in
taught to don masks before they recog- either direction. This can be observed in

A synchrony is gaining in popular-

ity because it offers a pathway
to understanding the inner experience of
nize their own faces. They are made to
put their tender, pliable forms into pre-
fabricated shells" (p. 3). The Self may
how laborious it is for both profoundly
gifted and severely retarded children to
master the fine art of dissemblance.
the gifted Self. It reminds us that gifted appear to others as socially skilled, but
children are vulnerable and at-risk, and
that we are obliged to respond to their dif-
ferences with supportive parenting, teach-
it is a Soul-devastating experience to
sacrifice one's authenticity in order to
C hildren with extreme develop-
mental delays have insufficient
cognitive complexity to pretend to be
ing and counseling. Lost potential is not belong. Trying to fit in at the expense of something they are not. Children with
the issue here; the greater fear is loss of the Self leads many gifted people to feel profound developmental advancement
Self. A vulnerable Self, besieged by emo- like aliens from a different planet (Wal- have so much cognitive complexity that
tionally charged cognitions, struggles to lach, 1995). they see the interconnection of all expe-
find a place in the world: When I was little I used to stand and rience, and misrepresentations of the
We are not "normal" and we know it; it stare up at the stars and wonder truth—even "white lies" to protect
can be fun sometimes but not funny which one of them held the solar sys- someone's feelings—radically disrupt
always. We tend to be much more tem that was my real home... Hey, up the sense of order they have worked so
sensitive than other people. Multiple there on Home Planet, time to beam
me up! Joke's over. Experiment's hard to create. Their need for logical
meanings, innuendos, and self-con-
sciousness plague us. Intensive self- done. I want to come home now. Do consistency and authenticity act as pow-
analysis, self-criticism, and the inability you hear me? (Tolan, 1996, p. 13) erful forces that usually outweigh what-
to recognize that we have limits make ever would motivate the Self to pur-
For the gifted Self, life can be very posely engage in distortion. This is not
us despondent. (American Association lonely and complicated. But it need not
for Gifted Children, 1978, p. 9). to say that gifted children are always
be that way. With greater societal

February, 1998, Roeper Review/205

 truthful. But many gifted people, partic- Some behaviors that would signify dis- tion to begin new projects. Then the
ularly the profoundly gifted, have a pas- order in the rest of the population are depression sets in and the person is
sionate attachment to the truth, they typical characteristics for the gifted. unable to complete the projects begun.
abhor inconsistency in themselves and Without the lens of giftedness, the gifted And the cycle repeats itself. Or one
others, and they find it hard to justify to Self is in danger of being misunder- manic episode can end a life that could
their Selves any misrepresentation of the stood, misdiagnosed and mistreated. "It have been saved with lithium. It is easier
truth as they understand it. Because of is intensely bittersweet to find out that to extract the symptoms of disorder from
this, gifted children who pretend to be these traits that brought so much shame the symptoms of giftedness when the
interested in Barbies when they actually are normal for the gifted" (Wallach, gifted are compared with their own
hate them, or who spin imaginative tales 1995, p. 37). group. Currently, therapists receive no
to see others' reactions, or who rational- training in giftedness that would enable
ize their behavior to avoid being wrong,
often feel ashamed at their lack of
E motional highs and lows, for
example, are part of the creative
process (Gowan, 1980), but they may be
them to sort out these complex vari-
ables. The gifted Self experiences inde-
authenticity. If they have intentionally mistaken for signs of manic depression. scribable injury when its gifts are dis-
lied, they often experience guilt at their Gifted individuals are often empathic torted into defects, and lives can be lost
dishonesty because they recognize that and feel the weight of the world on their when serious disorders are masked by
they have jeopardized a trust relation- shoulders. As teenagers, they can giftedness.
ship. They also have difficulty incorpo- become depressed at the realization of
rating their deception into their develop- their inability to make a difference in the The Psychology of Exceptionality
ing sense of Self. While others may condition of the world. This could be Investigation of giftedness and
decide not to lie because they know it is confused with endogenous depression, retardation both originated in the field of
wrong, or because they are afraid of get- which is usually treated with medication. psychology, as components of the study
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ting caught, a gifted child might say, "/ Perfectionism is one of the most of individual differences. Binet, Stern,
am not a person who lies. I would hate frequently misunderstood qualities of Goddard, Terman and Hollingworth all
myself if I were dishonest." the gifted Self. Therapists often assume contributed knowledge in both areas and
that perfectionism needs to be cured, understood the wide-ranging psycholog-
I f giftedness were to be recognized
as the mirror image of retardation
it would provide an entirely new way of
since it appears to be a factor in several
conditions, such as compulsive person-
ical manifestations of both syndromes.
The educational needs at the extremes
interpreting information used in identify- ality disorder, depression, and various stem directly from their developmental
ing, diagnosing, and providing therapy eating disorders. However, perfection- differences and psychological needs.
for the gifted. Society recognizes retarda- ism in the gifted has an entirely different The Self is a psychological entity. It
tion is an organizing principle—a unique significance. Perfectionism is a compo- should come as no surprise that so little
trajectory of development with atypical nent of the drive for self-actualization is known or written about the gifted Self
characteristics. Few expect developmen- (Maslow, 1970). The gifted Self envi- given the fact that there is little interface
tally delayed individuals to behave sions what could be instead of just what today between psychology and gifted
exactly like everyone else. The Diagnos- is, it longs to bring that vision into reali- education. An appreciation of the Self is
tic and Statistical Manual of Mental Dis- ty, and, often, it is capable of realizing part of the heritage of the psychology of
orders (DSM-IV), which establishes the its dreams. Without perfectionism, we giftedness that was lost along the way
criteria used by psychiatrists and psy- would have no Olympic champions, no when gifted education severed its rela-
chologists to determine various mental concert pianists, no brilliant surgeons, tionship with its psychological roots.
disorders, provides ample demonstration no great books or works of art, no dedi-
of this. The criteria for many of the psy-
chiatric diagnoses have the exclusionary
cated teachers who work 60 hours a
week at their craft. In a recent large-
T he definition of mental retarda-
tion in the DSM-IV, the methods
of assessment, the behavioral manifesta-
clause, "If Mental Retardation...is pre- scale study of gifted and talented sixth tions, and the statistical criteria for this
sent, the...difficulties are in excess of graders, Parker (1997) found perfection- diagnosis-accepted throughout the fields
those usually associated with these prob- ism to be correlated with conscientious- of psychiatry, psychology and educa-
lems"(American Psychiatric Association ness rather than neurosis; he argued for tion—are instructive for those of us who
[APA], 1994, p. 58). Certain behaviors appreciation of a healthy form of perfec- work with the gifted. First of all, for
that would appear abnormal in an aver- tionism. Therapists need to be able to obvious reasons, the determination of
age person are part of the syndrome of distinguish between an unreachable, retardation is under the jurisdiction of
retardation; therefore, they are attributed punitive set of standards of an average trained professionals. It takes years of
to retardation rather than to other cate- client and a level of excellence within specialized education to become certi-
gories. The diagnostic emphasis is on the grasp of a gifted one. fied as a school psychologist, clinical
comparing the developmentally disabled Misdiagnosis can occur in both psychologist or psychiatrist—the indi-
with their own group rather than with directions. It is possible to miss subtle viduals who are qualified to judge if a
societal norms. signs of serious disorders because the child is developmentally delayed.
This same principle needs to be gifted may exhibit atypical manifesta- Twenty-five years ago, the identification
applied in diagnosing problems in gifted tions rather than textbook symptoms. of giftedness was taken just as seriously.
individuals. However, since gifted indi- For example, a highly able adult may In 1972, Public Law 91-230 stated that
viduals look like everyone else and can experience only the lows without the "gifted and talented children are those
pretend to be like everyone else, they are highs and still have bipolar disorder. identified by professionally qualified
usually judged by a set of standards The manic phase may consist of periods persons..." In 1978, "professionally
based on norms for everyone else rather of enthusiasm, less need for sleep, enor- qualified persons" was removed from
than compared with their own group. mous creative energy, and the motiva- the law, and in the 1993 National Excel-

206/Roeper Review, Vol. 20, No. 3

 lence report (OERI, 1993), while a new social contact are almost insurmount- Identification of Exceptionality
definition was proposed, discussion of able" (p. 588). In an article entitled "The When should exceptional children
methods of identification was conspicu- Child of Very Superior Intelligence as a be identified? There is no question as to
ously absent. Imagine what would hap- Special Problem in Social Adjustment," the best time to identify a developmen-
pen if professionally qualified persons Hollingworth (1931) reported that only tally delayed child. The earlier the bet-
were no longer considered necessary in one child in six above 180 IQ related ter. Early detection enables early inter-
identifying developmental disabilities! well to other children. The other five vention. That is why Child Find exists.
"were unpopular with children of their It is abundantly clear that early interven-
I n the DSM-IV, retardation is
defined according to degree of
difference from the mean on a standard-
own age because they always wanted to
organize the play into a complicated
tion provides the best opportunity for
optimal development. This is true for all
ized, individual intelligence scale. pattern, with some remote and definite children with special needs—including
General intellectual functioning is climax as the goal" (p. 7). the gifted. Yet, in National Excellence,
defined by the intelligence quotient (IQ
or IQ equivalent) obtained by assess- Home life is also radically affected we are specifically told not to identify
ment with one or more of the stan- by having an exceptional child in either preschool and primary grade children as
dardized, individually administered direction. Ross (1979) suggested that gifted:
intelligence tests (e.g., Wechsler Intel- adjustment depends on how the child's These suggestions are not intended to
ligence Scale for Children-Revised, parents react to having a child with spe- imply that schools should label
Stanford-Binet, Kaufman Assessment cial needs. preschool and primary students as
Battery for Children). Significantly sub- gifted and talented. They should not.
average intellectual functioning is Helping parents accept their child's
Instead, preschools and primary
defined as an IQ of about 70 or below difference and supporting them to
schools should develop a curriculum
accommodate family life and sibling
(approximately 2 standard deviations for all that nurtures the strengths of
relations to the presence of a gifted
below the mean). (APA, 1994, p. 39) children and encourages its staff to do
youngster can be as difficult a task as
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the same. (OERI, 1993, p. 28)

helping other parents adjust to having
If two standard deviations below the a [developmental^ delayed] child and
mean is sufficient to qualify a child or The preschool and primary years
it requires and deserves no less time are the most critical in the development
adult as significantly below average, and effort, (p. 406)
then two standard deviations in the of Self-concept. There is that moment of
opposite direction should also be recog- Hollingworth (1940) compared the truth when the young gifted child dis-
nized as significantly different from the psychological isolation of highly gifted covers that he or she is different from
norm. Significant differences are not children with that of children signifi- other children. This is when the Self is
simply statistical artifacts; the life expe- cantly below the norm. She noted that most vulnerable and in need of support
rience, the awareness, the Self of anyone isolation occurs at both extremes of the and guidance from adults. If the early
who differs significantly from the norm IQ continuum, but not at the same detection of giftedness is banned, how
will be qualitatively different from that degree of difference. It tends to occur at do we help the Self come to terms with
of the average person. The DSM-IV 30 points below the norm (about 70 IQ), these differences?
but not until 50 or 60 points above the
indicates that differences of this magni-
tude can create "significant limitations
in adaptive functioning," in areas such
norm (about 150 IQ). Isolation occurs in
developmentally delayed children at the
H ow should exceptional children
be identified? Before a child is
labeled "disabled," a comprehensive
as "communication,...home living, point at which their differences are per- case study is conducted, including a
social/interpersonal skills..." (APA, ceived by others; it does not begin to complete battery of individual tests
1994, p. 39). Adaptive difficulties must take effect on the gifted until it is expe- administered by a team of professionals,
be present in at least two areas for posi- rienced by the Self. Modern studies an extensive series of interviews, and a
tive diagnosis. The gifted Self also has appear to confirm that social adjustment staffing to determine the best means of
difficulty adapting in these areas, partic- is more of a challenge for the highly serving the child. Emotional and social
ularly the highly gifted, who might be gifted (Dauber & Benbow, 1990; Kerr, needs are taken into account, as well as
three, four or more standard deviations 1991; Silverman, Chitwood & Waters, cognitive and academic requirements.
from the mean. 1986). Social rejection and the fear of The test score on an intelligence scale is
social isolation play critical roles in the just one piece of data that is used in con-
The pioneers in our field recognized development of the Self. Gifted children junction with many other sources of
the stumbling blocks gifted children and adults often try to repress the real
encounter in communicating and devel-
information about the functioning of the
needs of the Self in order to maintain child. Judgments are made by an
oping interpersonal relations with their
age peers. Lewis Terman (1931) wrote:
connections with others (Lovecky, informed team. In assessing giftedness,
Precocity unavoidably complicates the 1993). They feel they must choose too often a single test score-sometimes
problem of social adjustment. The between loneliness and the negation of generated by a group test—is the deter-
child of eight years with a mentality of the Self. mining factor in identification and pro-
twelve or fourteen is faced with a situ- Assistance is available to children gram placement. When such a system
ation almost inconceivably difficult. In fails, many advocate the abandonment of
order to adjust normally such a child
and to parents of children at the lower
end of the spectrum to cope with the standardized tests—throwing the baby
has to have an exceptionally well-bal- out with the bath water. A more thought-
anced personality and to be well nigh adaptive difficulties presented by their
a social genius. The higher the IQ, the exceptionality. Similar support is need- ful method of identifying the gifted, in
more acute the problem, (p. 579) ed for children and their families at the concert with methods used with other
upper extreme of the curve to prevent exceptionalities, makes use of observa-
Hollingworth (1939) found that children loneliness and isolation of the Self. tion, interviews, case histories, and sub-
above 160 IQ played little with other jective evaluation, along with test data.
children "because the difficulties of

February, 1998, Roeper Review/207

 Subjective information about a child's children not deemed valuable? It is time the furnace when it heats up may help
abstract thought processes, intensity, that gifted children warranted sufficient explain why it needs to cool down, to
complexity, sensitivity, and awareness is protection and funding to support appro- be distracted, when it is not heated up.
critical in a comprehensive assessment. priate methods of identification and pro- A fourth element contributing to cre-
While ability testing fails to identify gramming. ativity is what Russell Barkley has
creative talents in many domains, it still called the "hyperreactivity" of the ADD
remains the most unbiased method mind. Cousin to the traditional symp-
Misdiagnoses and Missed tom of hyperactivity, hyperreactivity is
available for identifying the gifted
(Gardner, 1984). Zigler and Farber
Diagnoses more common among people with
(1985) elaborate on the situation: The question of misdiagnosis of the ADD than hyperactivity is. People with
Psychologists are still not in a position gifted has come to the forefront because ADD are always reacting. Even when
to assess reliably many of the con- of the disconcerting numbers of gifted they look calm and sedate, they are
children who have been diagnosed as usually churning inside, taking this
cepts theorists like to include in defini-
having Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity piece of data and moving it there,
tions of giftedness, such as creativity, pushing this thought through their
task commitment, and certain talents Disorder (AD/HD). Though many emotional network, putting that idea
(Renzulli, 1978). Thus it may be that hypotheses have been offered, the rea- on the fire to burn, exploding or sub-
IQ is currently the most adequate tool son for the high number of gifted chil- siding, but always in motion. Such
for defining giftedness. Again, this dren labeled AD/HD remains a mystery. hyperreactivity enhances creativity
does not mean that noncognitive Gifted children may exhibit AD/HD-like because it increases the number of
aspects are unimportant, but only that symptoms without actually having this collisions in the brain. Each collision
their inclusion would seriously com- disorder (Lind, 1993). Roedell (1988) has the potential to emit new light,
promise a precise operational defini- refers to these children as "gifted but new matter, as when subatomic parti-
tion of the gifted classification, (p. 397) cles collide, (p. 178)
wiggly" (p. 9). The gifted Self absorbs
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more information, processes rapidly on

Without clear definitions there is no
way of calculating the prevalence of
either retardation or giftedness, mak-
many levels, has unusual energy, and
often can do many things at once. Atten-
I nconsistent attention, the ability
to "hyperfocus," and "hyperreac-
tivity" of the mind, are just three of the
ing it impossible to allocate resources tion focused elsewhere—exploring the many traits shared by both the gifted and
fairly or to plan programs to serve effects of a sunbeam or a mathematical
these groups, (p. 392)
AD/HD population. When do such traits
relation or a fantasy world—may appear become problems and when are they
as inattention in the classroom. Some
O ne or more standardized, indi-
vidually administered intelli-
gence tests is required for positive iden-
children are highly active, extraverted,
exuberant learners who talk rapidly and
simply the experience of being a typical
"gifted but wiggly" child? When prob-
lems appear at home as well as at
tification of developmental delay. It are always on the go, but their behaviors school-such as engaging in dangerous
would be unthinkable to attempt to iden- do not interfere with learning or social activities, hurting others, destroying
tify these children using achievement interaction. Acceptance of these traits is property, frequent uncontrollable out-
tests, group IQ tests, teacher recommen- in part culturally determined. Behavior bursts; when inattention or lack of
dations, grades or portfolios, as is so that might brand a child as AD/HD in impulse control seriously interferes with
often done with the gifted. Once a child Billings, Montana, could be the norm in learning, social interaction, and family
is diagnosed with a developmental dis- Brooklyn. When a child is inappropri- dynamics; when the child is unhappy, it
ability, that diagnosis accompanies him ately labeled AD/HD, the Self feels is important to determine the source of
or her to every school district in the 50 unacceptable. the problem. While AD/HD may seem
states. Not so with the gifted, whose to be the likely culprit, a complex array
identification or lack thereof is at the
whim of each local school board every
school year. An administrator can say,
H owever, separating out those
behaviors related to giftedness
from those associated with AD/HD has
of emotional factors could cause the
same symptoms. A thorough diagnosis
is in order by a mental health profes-
"/ don't believe in giftedness" and proven to be a daunting task. In their sional who has worked with numerous
refuse to identify or serve this group. popular book, Driven to Distraction, gifted individuals. Sometimes a team
What does it do to the Self of the child Hallowell and Ratey (1994) explain the approach is best-one who specializes in
to be told he or she is gifted one year but creativity of individuals with AD/HD in giftedness and another who specializes
not the next, or in one school but not in a manner uncomfortably descriptive of in AD/HD-to sort through the overlap-
another? Labels have psychological sig- most gifted people: ping symptoms.
nificance. They should not be attached A third element that favors creativity
among people with ADD is... the ability While overdiagnosis of AD/HD is a
lightly, nor should they be taken away
to intensely focus or hyperfocus at serious problem in some communities,
without concern for the psychological
times....the term "attention deficit"is a lack of appropriate diagnosis of AD/HD
damage caused to the Self.
misnomer. It is a matter of attention among the gifted also occurs. Too many
School districts claim that compre- inconsistency. While it is true that the professionals dismiss the symptoms of
hensive assessment and services for gift- ADD mind wanders when not AD/HD if a child can concentrate for
ed students, such as those available for engaged, it is also the case that the long periods of time in areas of interest.
disabled children, are not affordable. ADD mind fastens on to its subject Hallowell and Ratey's (1994) descrip-
But society allocates money to that fiercely when it is engaged. A child tion of the hyperfocusing ability of indi-
which it values. Currently, our society with ADD may sit for hours meticu- viduals with AD/HD apparently is not
demonstrates social responsibility to lously putting together a model air- common knowledge. Here is another sit-
those who are disabled. Our laws protect plane. An adult may work with amaz- uation in which the lens of giftedness is
and nurture disabled children in order to ing concentration when faced with a necessary. Creative children and adults
assure their optimal development. Why deadline, (p. 177) who have AD/HD can focus exquisitely
is the optimal development of gifted This ability to hyperfocus heats up the for long periods of time on their own
furnace in the brain... The intensity of

208/Roeper Review, Vol. 20, No. 3

 interest areas, but lack the ability to
focus when they are not interested. This
is important information for differential
is suggestive of a learning disability.
However, when a child's highest subtest
score is 19 (at the ceiling of a Wechsler
S ome perceived weaknesses may
also be strengths. For example,
a child who is deeply empathic and pre-
diagnosis. test) and lowest subtest score is 10 (50th occupied with the problems of the
percentile), the same 9 points do not
O ne way to determine if a
child's behavior is a function
of giftedness or AD/HD is to observe
appear significant through the normative
lens. Diagnosticians think only scores
world, such as homelessness, may
appear weak in school-related skills
because they are less important to the
the child in a situation in which his or significantly below the norm are prob- Self's development than the profound
her level of giftedness is being appro- lematic. Through the lens of giftedness, issues that occupy the child's aware-
priately challenged. A child whose an entirely different question is raised: ness. And certain deficits, such as
activity and distractibility level are "To what extent does the discrepancy dyslexia, appear to produce unusual
beyond the norm of a group of gifted between this child's strengths and gifts, such as imagistic thinking, the
children in a special setting is more weaknesses cause frustration and ability to see from different angles,
likely to be truly AD/HD than a child interfere with the full development of heightened intuition, creativity, mechan-
who exhibits symptoms of AD/HD the child's abilities?" This is an intrap- ical aptitude, technological understand-
within a heterogeneous classroom. ersonal rather than normative view of ing and inventiveness (Davis, 1994;
The gifted not only face greater risk test interpretation; it recognizes the West, 1991). These kinds of gifts are
of misdiagnosis, they also can have seri- importance of diagnosing the degree of becoming more and more precious in
ous weaknesses that go undetected asynchrony in the child's profile. It is a our technological era; yet, we still tend
because of the normative lens diagnos- view that honors the Self of the child, to view these asynchronous children
ticians use in test interpretation. The since it is the child's strengths that rep- through the lens of their deficiencies-
main question asked is, "How does this resent the pathway to the full realization many times overlooking their gifts.
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child s performance compare to the of the Self. Looking for strengths means being
norm?" Again, the interpretation of test To view a child through the lens of tuned in to the whole child, not just aca-
data for developmentally disabled in the giftedness requires being on the look- demic performance.
DSM-IV is revealing: out for strengths and taking them seri-
When there is significant scatter in ously when they appear. Strengths pro-
the subtest scores, the profile of vide a window into the child's abilities. Conclusion
strengths and weaknesses, rather This is the lens through which one
than the mathematically derived full- should look at any child, but it is imper- Giftedness is a ground of experi-
scale IQ, will more accurately reflect ative in attempting to discover gifted-
the person's learning abilities. When ence that differs significantly from the
there is a marked discrepancy across ness. Without this perspective, the most norm. Just as developmental delay pro-
verbal and performance scores, aver- asynchronous children—gifted children duces lifelong effects on social and
aging to obtain a full-scale IQ score with learning disabilities—suffer the emotional development, academic
can be misleading. (APA, 1994, p. 40) greatest damage to their Selves. When achievement, home life, response of the
[italics added] their strengths and weaknesses are aver- community, and career goals, develop-
In diagnosing delayed children, it is rec- aged, they cancel each other, and nei- mental advancement exerts a profound
ognized that the IQ test assesses discrete ther their gifts and nor their disabilities impact on the Self, permeating all facets
sets of abilities which need to be sepa- are detected. Their Selves feels unseen of a person's life in childhood and adult-
rately analyzed to derive a true under- and unheard. "Am I smart or am I stu- hood. Children with significant develop-
standing of the child. It is ironic that pid?" "How come I understand so mental differences in either direction
while gifted educators often subscribe to much more than everyone else but I require modifications in parenting,
the view of multiple abilities, the vari- can't write in such a way as to get teaching and counseling in order for the
ous patterns of strengths that appear on A's?" Failing to qualify for services for Self to be fully realized.
IQ tests of gifted children are often either exceptionality, the Self is left to Because their abstract reasoning
ignored, and placement in programs is struggle with dramatic asynchrony abilities enable the gifted to compen-
dependent upon Full Scale IQ scores- without any support. sate, true disabilities and disorders are
averages of those various abilities. often masked, while typical behaviors of
Many gifted children with uneven pat-
terns are denied differentiated program-
G I i:ifted children use their abstract
Treasoning
r abilities to compen-
sate for their weaknesses; however,
the gifted may be misinterpreted. Diag-
nosticians, school psychologists, thera-
ming due to this misapplication of IQ compensation can mask visual and audi- pists and educators need to be aware of
data. Averaging scores when they are tory problems. All diagnosticians who the characteristics of giftedness in order
extremely discrepant diminishes the work with the gifted—audiologists, to recognize what is atypical for this
Self's gifts by essentially subtracting the optometrists, occupational therapists, population, rather than comparing gifted
weaknesses from the strengths. If it is etc.—need to be aware of compensatory individuals with the general population.
diagnostically inappropriate with chil- behaviors in the gifted and notice how The caveat in the DSM-IV, "If Mental
dren who are developmentally delayed, the child's weaker areas compare with Retardation [etc.]...is present, the...dif-
it should also be considered inappropri- their stronger ones. Otherwise, when a ficulties are in excess of those usually
ate with children who are developmen- child scores within the normal range on associated with these problems" (p. 58,
tally advanced. their assessments, they will fail to detect emphasis added) should be applied to
According to Kaufman (1994), the correctable deficits. For a child whose the gifted population as well. Through
leading interpreter of the Wechsler tests, reasoning is advanced, scores in the nor- the lens of giftedness traits that may be
a discrepancy of 9 points between a mal range may actually indicate signifi- perceived as dysfunctional-such as
child's highest and lowest subtest score cant weaknesses. intensity, sensitivity, perfectionism,

February, 1998, Roeper Review/209

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

KUDOS
Tracy L. Cross was named new editor of the Gifted Child Quarterly. Tracy, is Executive Director of the
Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities in Muncie, a Trustee of The Roeper School, and
Contributing Editor of this journal. Tracy was the editor of the journal of Secondary Gifted Education and the
recipient of the 1997 NAGC Early Scholar Award.

Paula Olszewski-Kubilius was named new co-editor of the journal of Secondary Gifted Education with
Rena Subotnik. Paula is Director of the Center for Talent Development, Northwestern, former Book Editor of
the Roeper Review and now Contributing Editor for this journal. Rena is also a Contributing Editor for the
Roeper Review.

Joyce VanTassel-Baska was named the recipient of the 1997 NAGC Distinguished Scholar award. She is
also the new editor of Gifted and Talented International. Joyce is Professor at the College of William & Mary,
Virginia and a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Roeper Review.

210/Roeper Review, Vol. 20, No. 3