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Huh? Many children with ADHD and/or autism can be very good at certain academic tasks; neither diagnosis is a euphemism for "poor learner". My two older both kids have both diagnoses. One is pretty average at schoolwork, although she's quite talented at art and music - nothing really out of the range of normal, though. My other child, however, works well above grade average, has essentially a photographic memory, perfect spelling, can name you the composer for hundreds of classical pieces just from a few notes into a song, and reads several chapter books a night. I don't know if he would classify as gifted, but we just meet his learning where it's at. So, take that for what it's worth...
^^
There are times when "gifted" learner have ADHD symptoms.
I keep hearing from a friend how "gifted" her 30-year-old is/was. The same 30-year-old who is working at Kinkos because he has a useless degree, zero real-world experience and unreal expectations (he IS gifted, after all). He gave up after a few interviews many years ago, when they didn't offer him an office with a view and a VP position, just because he's "gifted".
Someone who is gifted doesn't automatically make them successful in life. Gifted kids have their share of issues as well.
Huh? Many children with ADHD and/or autism can be very good at certain academic tasks; neither diagnosis is a euphemism for "poor learner". My two older both kids have both diagnoses. One is pretty average at schoolwork, although she's quite talented at art and music - nothing really out of the range of normal, though. My other child, however, works well above grade average, has essentially a photographic memory, perfect spelling, can name you the composer for hundreds of classical pieces just from a few notes into a song, and reads several chapter books a night. I don't know if he would classify as gifted, but we just meet his learning where it's at. So, take that for what it's worth...
Oops missed the point. Another need ot read in context the entire statement and see whether you can find the meaning. I will give you a head start. Look at these words "the parents want identified" and see how they fit into the sentence and how these words qualify and change what is being conveyed. Now see whether you can answer the following questions:
1. did the author say children with ADHD cannot be gifted?
2. did the author say anyone should be labled gifted or labeled adhd or autistic?
3. is the subject of this sentence students, or their parents?
4. what is the author saying about parents in this sentence?
5. is the author referring to all parents?
if you can answer these questions, you will have a better understanding of what is being discussed here and not misconstrue what someone is saying.
If your kid is doing work two or three grades ahead of where he should that is not "gifted"., especially in the watered down educational system that is the USA. Gifted is doing Calculus in the 2nd grade. Thats gifted. Gifted is Einstein. That is all. The amount of ego amongst parents nowadays makes me want to vomit. Kids in the 5th grade in the late 1800s were writing essays on the Industrial Revolution and the Magna Carta. Were they all "gifted"?
The label is probably outdated and I understand why it can be off-putting to some, but that's no reason to deny appropriate instruction to high ability students capable of doing advanced work. And FYI, there are different levels of gifted, all requiring different types of services:
Whatever the definition of gifted you agree on, I do think that the more advanced students deserve to have some differentiated education just as the special needs students do. When my older son was in elementary school the gifted students were pulled out for I think an hour a day for more advanced work. By the time my younger son, who has a learning disability, was in the same grade they had decided that all of ths children should get a chance to do this more advanced work. Well guess what that did for my son's self-esteem? Not much except lower it as the work was much too challenging.
My real question is why are so many offended that someone else's kid get's labeled as "gifted?" Even to the point of finding examples of a gifted kid who works "horrors" a normal job. People don't seem as equally offended that someone is a gifted quarterback. Or gifted with a basketball. Or as a pitcher. Why is that? Why does even the thought of someone being intelligent bring out so much negativity toward both the kid and parents, but being a good athlete brings congratulations and pats on the back?
There are times when "gifted" learner have ADHD symptoms.
Yes.
My son was diagnosed with ADHD - he has it bad. I am not saying that he is "gifted," but the IQ test they gave him placed him in the "gifted range" by some measures. He is "above average" at math for a 5 year old -- can add and subtract negative numbers, can multiply, divide, multiply fractions, and do square roots of whole numbers.
However, he is probably only "gifted" at being defiant in an oppositional manner - especially at school where he gets written up nearly every day for being off task or insubordinate. I would wager that my son is easily in the top 1% of defiance - proud father here! They keep trying to make me put him on meds, but I think he is too young for that.
1. Yes, the "definition" (not that there is one) of "gifted" has lost definition (pun intended) over the years. But so what. If we have (as we did in my school) children who were gifted thriving in our GT Center program, and also have children who are just absolutely top notch students also thriving in that program...then the program is a success. And when I say we had students thriving, I'm basing that on feedback from our system's prestigious science and technology high school and feedback from colleges.
2. Some of the people on a rant against "gifted" are on...just that...a rant. I'm not sure why it is so under their craw. In some cases I have know people who aren't gifted jealous of those who are. And we have, at present in this country, an anti-intellectual fervor that is pushing some others.
3. Gifted programs are really no more than tracking. And tracking is no more (or should be no more) than an attempt to tailor a curriculum and teaching methods to a particular group of students, whether they be gifted, or special ed, or regular learners.
4. Sometimes at our school we would have parents claim that the gifted kids "get everything". So I would sit down with them and ask for examples of things that gifted kids got that the regular kids didn't get. They never came up with everything. A couple of parents did say, "Well, look at the science fair. The winners are always the gifted kids." So I asked one of those parents what their son had one in the science fair. "Well, he didn't enter a project." I asked another what their daughter had done for science fair projects. "Well, in 7th grade she made a model of a volcano, and in 8th grade she did an experiment to see if plants would die without water." Duuuuuuuuuuh.
5. In terms of jobs, in some it doesn't matter a bit if one is gifted. In other jobs it matters a great deal. No, not all gifted students will be successful in life; success requires more than just being gifted. In some jobs people can be just as successful, or even more successful, but just being hard, dedicated workers.
My real question is why are so many offended that someone else's kid get's labeled as "gifted?" Even to the point of finding examples of a gifted kid who works "horrors" a normal job. People don't seem as equally offended that someone is a gifted quarterback. Or gifted with a basketball. Or as a pitcher. Why is that? Why does even the thought of someone being intelligent bring out so much negativity toward both the kid and parents, but being a good athlete brings congratulations and pats on the back?
Good post!
It's often due to jealousy and/or anti-intellectualism.
Someone who is gifted doesn't automatically make them successful in life. Gifted kids have their share of issues as well.
And you know what? Oftentimes when gifted students do not meet their potential, it is due to the fact that some teachers or administrators, sharing the types of sentiments expressed on this thread, decide to deny gifted students access to appropriate academic challenges and behavioral supports. Whatever their rationale, it is wrong, and would not be tolerated for other student subgroups needing appropriately differentiated instruction.
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They keep trying to make me put him on meds, but I think he is too young for that.