How does your view of giftedness compare with “gifted and talented” programs in schools?

The term “giftedness” as we use it does not mean the same thing as “gifted and talented.” Many schools assess certain children to be exceptional learners and provide them with enhanced learning opportunities, called “talented and gifted” (TAG) programs or “gifted and talented education” (GATE or G/T).

We're all for TAG, GATE, or G/T endeavors. But we find that all children, regardless of IQ or any other scale of functioning, possess their own unique pattern of motivated behavior, which we call their giftedness.

A person may function at a very low level of what is called “intelligence.” But giftedness is not about intelligence. It’s about motivation and behavior. Even the most compromised human being will display a bent toward a particular way of “doing life.”