Gifted Underachievers

What Does a Gifted Under Achiever Look Like?

We typically start receiving questions about gifted students who are not reaching their full potential around October and November. This behavior is known as "gifted underachievement" and these students are called "gifted underachievers".

Characteristics of a "gifted underachiever" might include, but are not limited to students who:

Conceal their abilities for peer approval
Perform very well in some subjects, but not others (core or elective)
Seek order and structure, sometimes to the extent of perfectionism
Interests lie outside the "standard" curriculum and are not valued by classmates or teachers
Low academic performance, sometimes even at failing levels
May be disruptive for attention seeking or frustration reasons
May avoid risk-taking to avoid risk of failure
May "achieve" but at levels significantly below their ability
Confusion about actual ability levels and how that translates to performance
For students who are AIG and special needs, it's easy to become frustrated when teachers ignore gifts and focus only on needs

How Can I Support an Underachieving AIG Student at Home?

There are many reasons an AIG student may be underachieving at school, but underachievement is a reversible state. Approaching underachievement from a problem-solving perspective minimizes potential conflicts. The following suggestions were made in Why Bright Kids Get Poor Grades--And What You Can Do About It by Sylvia Rimm (2008). It's known as the ALLIANCE model.

ALLY with the student privately about interests and concerns.
LISTEN to what the student says.
LEARN about what the student is thinking.
INITIATE opportunities for recognition of the student's strengths.
ADD experimental ideas for engaging curricular and extracurricular activities.
NURTURE relationships with appropriate adult and peer role models.
CONSEQUENCE reasonably, but firmly, if the student doesn't meet their commitments.
EMPHASIZE effort, independence, realistic expectations, and how strengths can be used to cope with problems; and extend possibilities patiently.

Other Resources

The Davidson Institute in Reno, NV has a fairly comprehensive list of resources available to educators, parents, and others interested in gifted underachievers.