The word “gifted” often evokes thoughts of a very bright individual who excels in school and speaks with a sophisticated vocabulary. In reality, giftedness comes in many shapes and sizes. Individuals may present as intellectually gifted, gifted in one more academic domain, or artistically, musically, or athletically gifted. It is difficult to determine the prevalence of giftedness, since there are varying beliefs about what constitutes identification as gifted. 

There are no universal criteria for giftedness, but the term “intellectually gifted” is generally reserved for individuals with an Intellectual Quotient (IQ) score at or above 130 (top 2% compared to same-age peers). Others consider giftedness to reflect individuals performing within the top 10% in their given area of aptitude. 

While gifted individuals display exceptional talent in one or more area, it is common for these individuals to display asynchronous development. Asynchrony refers to the discrepancy within an individual’s learning or social-emotional profile. For example, an individual may possess gifted math skills, but lag behind with fine motor skills. In turn, homework completion may be problematic, despite the student’s strong mathematical capabilities. Similarly, many gifted individuals present with substantial variability between their impressive IQ and emotional intelligence (EQ), variability between their academic achievement and their expected by IQ performance, and between their IQ sub-scores. Gifted individuals with this variability may fall into the category of “twice exceptional”, meaning they are intellectually gifted, yet they present with a learning or behavioral disorder. 

FOSTERING GIFTEDNESS:

• Create an environment conducive to fostering creativity, while allowing the children the opportunity to reach their optimal levels of performance. 

• Focus on developing a growth mindset

Midwest Academy for Gifted Education is, first and foremost, a community for gifted learners and their families in the City of Chicago and beyond. We offer a full-time and part time school option, weekend, evening, and homeschooler enrichment activities such as academic and STEAM teams, advocacy support, as well as social opportunities for your family. We are focused on creating equitable options for gifted children, whether they are in our school, public school, home school, or private school. We work closely with other local organizations to coordinate efforts in order to create equitable opportunity and a brighter tomorrow for the gifted. 

Click here to learn about our Free Parent Education Workshops. November 3, 2019 is our next workshop, titled What is 2e. Click here for more in-depth information and resources, including local and national organizations to support your family through identification, learning, and building community.

Come to our Gifted Resource Fair on January 12, 2020 to have an immersive experience and learn about all the local support there is for your family. 

 This content is brought to you by MAGE. Click Contact to be put on our distribution list.