Myths about gifted children continue to surface despite the increasing number of identified gifted students and implementation of gifted curriculum in many schools throughout the nation. Admittedly, stereotyping – of anything or anyone – is extremely hard to reverse. But it is an unfortunate and oftentimes damaging byproduct that gifted children receive the brunt of this behavior from adults as well as other children. Statements like, “If your kid is so smart, why do they need help?” or “All kids are gifted in something” or “What makes your child so special?” are common. I find that many times these comments are made from a place of lack – lack of awareness, lack of understanding or lack of confidence in their own child’s education situation. Or perhaps the person lacks information and is actually curious and wondering if their child is gifted. This lack is one reason that I feel strongly about providing accurate information and relevant resources to parents who are exploring giftedness for the first time as well as for those who are looking for more in-depth or specific topics.
If you have a gifted child or work with gifted children, what are some of the myths, stereotypes or comments that you or your child encounter? Please share and let us know if you have any responses you give to those who persist in perpetuating these myths, whether knowingly or not. You might also want to check out educator Carolyn Coll’s recent CNN article, “My View: Ten Myths about Gifted Students and Programs for Gifted.” Do you have any myths to add?
