Characteristics of  Giftedness

Although no two gifted students are exactly alike, there are some characteristics which gifted children share (in various combinations). Listed below are a few characteristics gifted students may exhibit:

- Achievement -

Large storehouse of information on school or non-school topics 

History of outstanding achievement as evidenced by grades, standardized test scores, etc.

- Creative Thinking -

Effective (often innovative) strategies for recognizing and solving problems

Usually keen sense of humor (gentle or hostile)

Frustration with traditional thinking

- Motivation -

Evidence of desire to learn 

Intense (sometimes unusual) interests

- Academic Performance -

Questions, experiments, explores, challenges others

Unusual emotional depth, leadership, and ability to deal with diversity

- Cognition/Intelligence -

Highly expressive and effective use of words, numbers, symbols, etc.

Logical approaches to figuring out solutions. Impatient with repetition

The Referral Process 

Anyone including the parent(s), guardian, or community professional may refer a student for screening and possible evaluation.

A screening team of educational professionals considers screening information, previous evaluations, and parent/teacher input to determine if a comprehensive evaluation is needed. The team’s decision is based on multiple data sources.