What I see as the biggest difference between gifted and non-gifted adults is that gifted people have a driving motivation to do their best at whatever they do. When I played pickup volleyball, I was shocked to find that some of the not-so-good players had NO interest in learning how to play better. I am now a figure skater. I've been taking lessons for seven years and found that the sport really appeals to me in part because everything is hard but eventually achievable with hard work. The other skaters, child or adult, all have a drive for excellence and all seem to be quite smart.
In other settings, I have found hostility when I have talked about my kid's problems with dumbed-down instruction. That makes it difficult for me to deal with them. I organized park dates with other gifted families partly so that my kids could have a chance to play with other kids like them - and partly so that I had a safe place to discuss my problems. This led to working on the board of the local gifted advocacy group where I have found good friends. Some of our board meeting time is devoted to discussions are about advocacy - but the rest is a support group.
