“Gifted and Talented” means any child or youth who performs at or shows the potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment and who excels in a specific academic field.

Characteristics of Gifted Children 

The following characteristics are common but not universal:

• Shows superior abilities to reason, generalize or problem solve.
• Shows persistent intellectual curiosity.
• Has a wide range of interests; develops one or more interests to considerable depth.
• Produces superior written work or has a large vocabulary.
• Reads avidly.
• Learns quickly and retains what is learned.
• Grasps mathematical or scientific concepts readily.
• Shows creative ability or imaginative expression in the arts.
• Sustains concentration for lengthy periods on topics or activities of interest.
• Sets high standards for self.
• Shows initiative, originality, or flexibility in thinking; considers problems from a number of viewpoints.
• Observes keenly and is responsive to new ideas.
• Shows social poise or an ability to communicate with adults in a mature way.
• Enjoys intellectual challenge; shows an alert and subtle sense of humor.

These characteristics can lead to conflicts in the regular classroom, as the gifted child may:

• Get bored with routine tasks.
• Resist changing away from interesting topics or activities.
• Be overly critical of self and others, impatient with failure, perfectionistic.
• Disagree vocally with others, argue with teachers.
• Make jokes or puns at times adults consider inappropriate.
• Be so emotionally sensitive and empathetic that adults consider it over-reaction, may get angry, or cry when things go wrong or seem unfair.
• Ignore details, turn in messy work.
• Reject authority, be non-conforming, stubborn.
• Dominate or withdraw in cooperative learning situations.
• Be highly sensitive to environmental stimuli such as lights or noises.