Reply to Best school for gifted kid? Looking for differentiation.

Forum Index » Private & Independent Schools

Reply to "Best school for gifted kid? Looking for differentiation. "

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I recommend CTY outside of school, and lots of enrichment. I think you may have to make peace with a school that provides less than you're seeking academically.

As a separate issue, I would encourage you to consider your son's sensitivity and emotional reactions apart from his need for higher-level academics.[b] I don't think attaching it to his giftedness is all that helpful here.[/b] There are profoundly gifted kids without these issues, and un-gifted (to use an awful term) kids with them. Maybe reading about 2E kids would be helpful, or teaching some of the self-regulation strategies used for kids with ADHD or ASD.

It sounds like his lack of ability to self-regulate is causing  friction at school and needs addressing, and the giftedness lens may not be the most useful way to achieve that.[/quote]

It's causing friction at school to the extent that his teachers are putting negative labels on him when he responds to other kids' upset or pain. He has many friends and is a fairly popular kid.

I doubt you are an expert on giftedness, as those who are know that there is a set of characteristics that often present together in gifted children. Yes, it's true that not all gifted children have them, but many do.  It's not an issue of self-regulation so much as one of input processing. If one child observes and is aware of 30 different things while another only notices 3 things, the child who is processing more has a greater processing load on a continuing basis.

DS is highly empathic and sensitive to others' emotions. It's not easy for an 8-year old to handle, nor is it for older kids and adults who have similar qualities.     
[/quote]

Hi, I am the PP and I am not trying to be abrasive, I'm trying to offer a perspective that I think might be helpful. I  have two kids. One is profoundly gifted, and while I'd call him sensitive (especially in his music), it doesn't really impact him in a school setting because he also is exceptionally good at navigating social situations. The other is very bright but has ASD and *does* have the extreme emotional sensitivity that causes problems at school and which is connected to an intense, almost painful ability to "notice" too many things--an exquisite sensitivity. I know there are many gifted children who fit the "ultra-sensitive" profile, but that alone is not unique to the profoundly gifted. I am offering the idea that you are conflating two issues that ultimately will need to be solved separately.  Finding more academic challenge is not likely to solve the social piece, and it is fairly unusual for a school that serves at least a sprinkling of very gifted kids to "put negative labels on him when he responds to other kids' upset or pain" if he's doing it in an appropriate way. Working with him to find appropriate channels for his intense feelings seems to me like a more productive course--and there are resources for that. I am not saying your child has a disability, only that the kinds of resources which help other kids with these issues might also help him.
[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics