Too few classes

‘Parents are usually exhausted because society doesn’t provide for the gifted child’, notes an educator Kathi Kearney of the center for the Study and Education of the Gifted Children at Columbia University.

Nationwide, a shortage of special classes for gifted children leads some parents to try home schooling. Others supplement their children’s classes with programs at museums and colleges.

Some youngsters skip grades, satisfying their intellectual appetite but not their need for social peers.

‘Gifted children don’t always do well in traditional public schools’, warns Webb. ‘They lost interest and refuse to participate in class or do their homework’, he says. ‘They also find themselves advanced so far beyond their classmates, they may have trouble fitting in with other children of their age’.

For parents, the out-of-school issues can be just as frustrating. How do you discipline a child who thinks like a teenager, but acts like a six-year-old? What do you say when peers reject him?

If you think you child is gifted, experts advise:

1. Have him evaluated between ages five and seven by a licensed psychologist experienced with the gifted children.

2. Develop a flexible educational plan with your child’s school.

3. Expose her or him to a wide variety of educational materials and experiences. Encourage and support without pushing.

4. Seek information from parents and experts.