What is Giftedness?
The Exceptional Children’s Education Act defines Gifted Children as:
” aptitude or competence in abilities, talents, and potential for accomplishment in one or more domains are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special provisions to meet their educational programming needs. Gifted children are hereafter referred to as gifted students. Children under five who are gifted may also be provided with early childhood special educational services. Gifted students include gifted students with disabilities (i.e. twice exceptional) and students with exceptional abilities or potential from all socio-economic, ethnic, and cultural populations. Gifted students are capable of high performance, exceptional production, or exceptional learning behavior by virtue of any or a combination of these areas of giftedness: General or Specific Intellectual Ability, Specific Academic Aptitude, Creative or Productive Thinking, Leadership Abilities, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Musical, Dance, or Psychomotor Abilities”
Not all gifted children look or act alike. Gifted people make up around the top 5% of a population; the highly gifted make up the top 1-3% of the population. Gifted and talented children are present in all student groups, regardless of gender, disability, English language proficiency, economic status, ethnic or cultural background. It is important that adults look hard to discover potential and support gifted children as they reach for their personal best.