How We Define Giftedness

To begin understanding our definition of giftedness, we have to start with what it is not. Giftedness is not a number on an IQ test. It is not measured by achievement or success. It is not classified as ability versus non-ability.

Giftedness is human development in extremes. Everything that makes gifted individuals different or deviant is an accelerated aspect of their development. These accelerated domains of development can create issues, however. The areas in life where a gifted person is accelerated can be accompanied by areas of development that are in the normal range or even under-developed. These developmental gaps, also referred to as Asynchronous Development (aka neurodivergence), must be understood to help a gifted person thrive. Every person in the world has gaps, but when the gaps become more pronounced, they can create hidden issues that particularly affect the gifted population.

Heightened sensitivities, extreme emotional states, verbal precocity, inflexible attitudes about what is fair, fascination with death at a young age, etc. are all examples of how asychronous development in gifted individuals can appear in the world.