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    Joined: Aug 2016
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    Jeeves Offline OP
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    I've come across some thought-provoking material since I started looking into this realm of gifted ability. One thing in particular was the gifted adults who only found out they were gifted as adults.

    It seems that in some cases, if the giftedness is not identified and nurtured in childhood, it can have such an adverse effect on the gifted person (especially gifted women it would seem) that they actually believe that they are not as smart as the average person, let alone gifted - I believe it's called "the impostor syndrome".

    Does anyone have any experiences with this kind of situation?

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    AAC Offline
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    Well. the impostor syndrome isn't really unique to gifted women, but is a symptom of a culture and society that both demands a lot from women and also undervalues their efforts/achievements.

    That said, I am a gifted adult, was identified as a child and I suffer from crippling impostor syndrome.


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    I "think" I am a gifted adult. I have been told by many people I am one of the smartest people they know. I went through high school without ever bringing home a book or needing to study. I lacked basic study skills so when I got to college I was lost.

    Back in the "old" days of the 60's, there was no "gifted" programming or identification where I grew up. My brother had many other issues , mostly behavior, and he was tested as a genius. He was placed in a self contained special ed classroom in 4th grade due to the behavior.My guess is , he was so bored with what they were teaching and the only way they would pay attention to him was if he acted out. He dropped out of high school at 16 and never went back to school.

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    Jeeves Offline OP
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    Wow, thanks for the insights. So AAC, impostor syndrome doesn't just affect people who have never been identified? That's both interesting and appalling at the same time. People need to be educated on the changes that gifted people could implement if allowed to grow to their true potential.

    frannieandejsmom, there was no gifted programs when I was at school in England either so I wouldn't know one way or another. People seem to think I'm intelligent but I highly doubt I'm gifted. I can't think of any stand-out achievements at school. In fact I was just lazy!

    Last edited by Jeeves; 08/31/16 04:23 PM.
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    The notion of being gifted never even crossed my mind until I started trying to figure out if there was some sort of psychiatric reason why DS6 is so very intense. And then, a great deal started to make more sense about him and about me. I never even thought that there was anything that unusual about the fact that I always "got it" before anyone else did, nor did I think it was unusual that I never needed to bother with studying before I got to university. Even then, when I "really" studied, I'd be in the top 3% of my class. As far as I was concerned, it was just that whatever I was studying at the time was easy, or so logical that you could figure it out as long as you took a bit of time to think about it.

    But interestingly enough, it was the notion that I might have the OEs so often associated with giftedness that was the biggest revelation to me. Throughout my entire life, until last year, I always thought of myself as "feeling more" than everyone around me - emotions, anything sensory (all of them, but especially touch, smell and sound), the need to move, the need to learn, everything. Tbh, I always thought I had some sort of psychiatric disorder or something. I thought I was a bit crazy that I'd be like a dog with a bone when I wanted to figure something out, or that I would be moved to tears by some seemingly mundane thing at least once a day.

    I still feel a bit unsettled by the whole thing, but I'm somewhat relieved to know that I might actually not be that abnormal. Though of course, "normal" is relative. smile

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    From the SENG library of articles... on the topic of gifted adults... an article called "Gifted Comes of Age":
    Originally Posted by article - Gifted Comes of Age
    We did not hear the word gifted as a child. We thought we were odd. Even as we age, it is difficult to say aloud, “I am a gifted adult.”

    Many parents become aware of their own giftedness when learning how to best support their children... who may be quite different from chronological age peers, and may subsequently be tested and found to be gifted.

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    I don't know if I am gifted. Mostly I think not. But I have 2 kids in the HG to PG range and I don't see that happening unless I was at least MG. Besides one of them is a lot like me. I was bright and bored. I read a lot in class. NZ doesn't believe in giftedness now and certainly didn't 40 years ago.

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    Imposter syndrome occurs from time to time even in those of us who were identified early. I think it's a natural part of self assessment. When it becomes pervasive enough to limit achievement due to lack of confidence (in which case, there may be larger issues with self confidence that affect more than ones view on giftedness) then it can be seen as a problem to be addressed.

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    Well, I was identified, but I don't really recall any sort of meaningful differentiation. I was already at a science and math magnate school... but the gifted program was just a pull out for one hour once a week for puzzles and challenges. Though, there were two grade levels in the same class, so lower grades could differentiate up to one grade level.

    Overall, I think that at the time gifted and high achieving were too often conflated, meaning that if you dropped below a certain level of achievement, they didn't really work with you to overcome the problem. you just went back to grade level.

    I have always found giftedness to be a hindrance to me more than anything. I developed very poor study habits, and have yet to study for anything. It has not served me very well so far... oh well.


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    I agree with that SO MUCH, RRD.


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