Post Meeting Research
Classifications of giftedness
Being gifted is an innate brain-based difference which enables someone to see and understand the world in a more complex way than would be expected for someone’s age. (Davidson Institute, 2023)
It is, however, important to understand that there are different classifications within the highly gifted. These classes range from mildly gifted, with an IQ range of 115 up to 129, to profoundly gifted, with an IQ score of 180 or more. (Gross, z.d.) It is evident that there is still quite a big difference in the IQs of highly gifted individuals. In fact, the profoundly gifted and the moderately gifted are equally diverse as the moderately gifted and the intellectually disabled. (R & C, 2020) This is why it is important to focus on the right level of giftedness in researching Arne’s case.
The lack of a clear distinction of the highly gifted by the degree of severity creates a lack of awareness for the uniquely adapted education that the profoundly gifted require for their individual needs. (Schultz, 2018) For this it is important to be able to identify the unique behaviours of profoundly gifted people. The works of Terman, Hollingsworth and Gross include a documentation of the behaviours and tendencies of younger profoundly gifted children. (Schultz, 2018b)
The case includes a five year old child with an IQ that is presumably above 180. Many tendencies can be found in their research that overlap with Arne’s behaviour. Some examples include a strive towards complex, intricate games, as Arne likes to take existing games and create his own complex version, being a one-time learner, as he quickly picks up new concepts and ideas and a maximum overdrive, meaning that when he is curious about a topic his need to explore it is inexhaustible until a certain point after which all interest is lost and the topic is switched for a new one.
The prevalence of an IQ of above 180 is less than one in a million which makes it almost impossible to create a large sample size in research. (Gross, z.d.-b) Because of this, the exceptionally gifted and profoundly gifted, with respective IQ ranges of 160 up to 179 and 180 or more, are often grouped together. The research on this group is therefore the most relevant to Arne’s case. Three factors by which the exceptionally and profoundly gifted can often be identified from a very young age are movement, reading and speech. (Gross, z.d.-c) When Arne was only one year old he could already stack ten blocks on top of each other which, according to his paediatrician at that time, was something that children normally do when they are four or five years old. He could also read from a very young age and can now read in Dutch and English. His speech, however, is a harder topic to grasp. Better developed speech is usually the easiest to spot predictor of giftedness, Arne, however, does know how to talk but rarely wants to and thus hardly uses any full sentences. This is however not atypical for a highly gifted individual. Einstein did not even start talking until he was three years old. (R & C, 2020b)
Interaction with others
When comparing profoundly gifted children to the moderately gifted, a noticeable difference is found in the interaction with other children. Where the moderately gifted are generally not “different” enough to be rejected, profoundly gifted children often lack a peer group with whom they can relate. (R & C, 2020c) The more highly gifted a child is, the more they feel the pressure to “dumb-down” in an effort to try and fit in. This is why it is very important for Arne’s case to focus on communication and collaboration so that as Arne grows older, he will hopefully feel like although he might be a special case, he does still belong.
Communication
When people want to express themselves internally or externally, appropriate communication is necessary. Communication is about the transfer of ideas, feelings, or thoughts from one person to another. Communication plays a decisive role in all cases where two or more people need to collaborate or when people want to get to know something about the other. (Genç, 2017) To communicate properly, someone needs to have the ability to react and listen effectively, to transmit the information in the messages accurately and make sense of the received information. (Ersoy et al., 2019)
For gifted people, especially children, the social environment such as family and school should act collectively to provide communication skills.
The behaviour and the ways of thinking of gifted children differ already at an early age from that of ‘normal’ children. The strengths of gifted children like sensitivity, curiosity, perfectionism, and advanced skilled levels, make these children appear different from others. Interactions with other people, communication, and friendships could be affected by this feeling of being different. When common behaviours and traits of gifted children are understood by parents and others, they will be more able to accept and communicate with gifted children. Most gifted children barely share their feelings because they are uncomfortable with it, these children prefer logic, order, and facts. They avoid emotions and opinions, since feelings seem risky and illogic. (A Parent’s Guide To Gifted Children, z.d.)
Social
Several studies have shown that gifted children prefer to be in a social environment. These children do not like to be alone, however, when they are feeling sad, they prefer to stay home. Being in a social environment is enjoyable and engaging in activities make them feel happy, according to the highly gifted. Although gifted children like to be in a social setting, they observe first and do not rush. (Ersoy et al., 2019b)