Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Mainstream definition of giftedness

What word would you use to replace "Giftedness"? For advocacy, awareness, identity, fundraising, etc, if you could choose a word that the rest of the (English) world could use, what would you pick? Or if not a word, a short phrase?

From past readings of other articles, learning about giftedness, and reading the article below, I've been thinking for several months now, there has got to be an alternative way to describe "giftedness"?

An excerpt from the article "How to Charm Gifted Adults into Admitting Giftedness: Their Own and Somebody's Else's"
by Willem Kuipers
p. 18
Advanced Development Journal


I think there isn't another word. It seems to me, no matter what word/phrase is used, the actual admitting or describing that one's ability to be intellectually-able, inquisitive, autonomous, and have great zeal in pursuing interests is just not something to be shared. If I'm good at sports, that's ok.

Welcome thoughts/discussion.

Accelerated learners.

High ability learners

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That's what I always thought it was...

I don't really think there is another word either, I think that's why we've always been stuck with gifted, because we can't come up with anything better.

Unfortunately, I think that whatever term you use will carry the same negative connotation eventually. People on the other end of the spectrum have battled this for years. The labels have shifted from idiot to retarded to developmental disability to intellectual/cognitive disability. Once a term gains acceptance in the general population, the old baggage seems to come with it.

I think the word "gifted" makes a lot of sense in terms of finding support (in books, online, or in organizations), but not a lot of sense in everyday conversation. I've described DD as "asynchronous," "unusual," "special needs," "advanced," etc., depending on the circumstances. I talk about gifted issues, but more often in general terms than as a way to describe my DD. Except online.

I honestly never have had an issue as a child, teen or adult being gifted. I feel like it is part of who I am just like I have brown hair & like math.

You may have read this in your research already, but I found it interesting. Definitions of Gifted The quote at the end is telling.You could insert pretty much any person in that quote for "teacher or principal."

As for another word/phrase that would take the place of gifted, I've been trying to find one since my oldest daughter entered the program & I realized it was going to be an issue.

This does come up in conversation; I was talking to a co-worker who is obviously gifted and we were discussing his daughter. He has no issues calling her super-smart or gifted, but when I said something about his being really smart, even just that phrase he shied away from.

I know it won't matter much in the grand scheme of things but for my own purposes I have tried to just come right out and tell people I am smart, where it is warranted. For purposes of job interviews, for instance, it seems to have a charming rather than chilling effect. Maybe it is the way I say it, who knows? But people want to hire that, anyway.

This is a key point. The thing to do is figure out the other person's definition of giftedness and ask questions until you get that person's words for your kid, and then use the other person's internal language.

I've joked for years that everyone has their own definition of giftedness, and since their is no one correct definition, then all of them are correct for the person who is using them, including my DH who believes that a person can't be gifted if he knows or remembers one person who is 'much smarter' than themselves. We were joking about it last night when I returned from the conference, I guess because he couldn't imagine that 400 people know someone like his best friend in High School. I told him that the definition varied, but that in schools it was usually between the top 10% and top 2% depending on local custom, with 3% being popular.

'Oh,' he said, 'I guess I am gifted then.'

Then I told him about how I always tell people about this private definition of gifted, and he looked at me and said the name of of his best friend in High School.

So nice to watch the penny drop! And after only 6 years. Big happy Smile!

For me - my son has 'special educational needs' because of his unusal early intellectual developmental path when I'm talking school talk, and Gifted with friends. One advantage of being in the Young Scholar Program is that it makes fessing up to the 'gifted' label rather more easy.

Love and More Love,
Grinity

When I thought about this: when DS attended a gifted group we told him it was a club for kids who liked to learn things. That seemed to work for him as a 4 yo, but I wonder if it didn't imply that other children don't like to learn.