CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

The population of intellectually gifted youth encompasses a wide range of

abilities, temperaments, and personality characteristics. Although generalizations are

often made outside of the empirical literature regarding the interpersonal skills of these

children, much remains to be understood about their social behaviour. (Perham, 2012)

Intellectually gifted students not only think differently than the average person,

but also feel differently: their unconventional cognitive development is connected with a

high level of emotion. Consequently, intellectually gifted students have a much greater

range of emotional experiences, characterized by uneven or irregular development.

(Rogers, 2009)

When there is positive classroom behaviours evident, cognitive traits and

characteristics are easy to recognize. Often, however, the pace and level of work

presented to intellectually gifted students does not engage their interest in learning, or

attend to their abilities, and they may respond with behaviors which are negative or

even disruptive. When a intellectually gifted student displays negative or disruptive

behavior, this can be a call for help or at least an indication that some intervention is

needed. Often, appropriate provisions can transform negative behavior to positive

behavior. Other behaviorsmay simply be misunderstood. Because intellectually gifted

students differ significantly from others, it is important to respond to the social-emotional

characteristics that distinguish them. Furthermore, since significant differences also

exist within the intellectually gifted population, it is important to respond to individual

differences.

The first challenge in understanding this population is to be aware of what is

meant by the term intellectualgiftedness.Currently, no universal definition exists, and

the criteria vary from school system to school system. Generally, the term implies a

student with an intellectual ability significantly higher than average.

A more widely used definition within the field of gifted education comes from the

1991 meeting of the Columbus Group, and highlights the unique needs of this

population:

Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities

and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness

that are qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony increases with

higher intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted renders them

particularly vulnerable and requires modification in parenting, teaching, and

counseling in order for them to develop optimally. (Columbus Group, 1991)

Some intellectually gifted students, because of their heightened intellectual and

social-emotional needs, may experience difficulties that require professional intervention

such as counselling. It is important for the school and the parents or careers to work

together to recognize, understand and respond to the interpersonal skills intellectually

gifted students.