LETTER: Any gifted child can use help

From Shari Colvin
Hutchinson

This week is National Parenting Gifted Children Week.

All children are special gifts and all children have special gifts. However, only a small percentage of children are gifted and have special parenting and education needs. These are children who may as preschoolers teach themselves to read or master multiplication concepts. They may use logic and advanced vocabulary to argue like a lawyer, or construct an elaborate fantasy world. They may fill every room of the house with their collections or experiments.

These same children may even have learning disabilities such as dyslexia, ADHD, or an autism spectrum disorder that may mask their giftedness (or their giftedness may mask their learning disability).

Neurological research has shown these children process and learn differently from average children. Traditional parenting resources, school curriculum and instruction practices are often inadequate to meet the affective and academic needs of these gifted children. Yet neither parents nor educators are taught about the differences and needs of the gifted when they go through early childhood classes or teacher education training programs. Consequently, many gifted children languish in our communities because so very few truly understand how to support, encourage and teach them.

Gifted is what these children are. With support, talented is what they may become. Many of us give of our time and resources to organize art shows, recitals, concerts, theater productions and athletic competitions to challenge, encourage and cheer on our artistically, musically, and athletically gifted and talented students. Should we give any less for our intellectually gifted children?

Organizations such as the Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented, the Minnesota Educators of Gifted and Talented, the National Association for Gifted Children and Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted, exist to help meet the challenges of parenting and educating gifted children.

If you think you may have or know a gifted child, take a little time this week to check out some of the resources these organizations provide and discover what you can do to help that child be all she or he can be. Our community will be a little richer and better because you give.