Linda Silverman

• Institute for the Study of Advanced Development

Overview This technical report provides information about a new ancillary WISC-V index score: the Expanded General Ability Index (EGAI). The EGAI is derived using eight subtests from the Verbal Comprehension, Visual Spatial, and Fluid Reasoning scales; it does not include working memory or processing speed subtests. The EGAI is designed to be used...

The purpose of assessment of giftedness is to determine a child’s special needs. The misuse of testing in selecting students for gifted programs has undermined confidence in IQ tests. Individual IQ tests administered by skilled professionals are essential for children who develop atypically. Qualitative information informs the interpretation of IQ...

In the dark ages of education, school was teacher-oriented, rather than studentcentered. The role of teachers was to pour knowledge into the empty vessels with folded hands seated in front of them. The student’s role was to master the skills of reading, writing, spelling, and calculation through rote learning and repetition, at the same rate as the...

Federal law ensures all students with disabilities the right to a Free, Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). However, current policies governing a student’s eligibility for services may contribute to the underidentification of gifted children with co-existing disabilities—the Twice-Exceptional. The emphasis on below-grade-level (or lower) performan...

Dabrowski's theory spoke to me at a very deep level of my being. It has been my guide to self-examination, allowing me to appreciate my intensity and to see the challenges in my life as opportunities for personal growth. For the last three decades, I have shared my passion for the theory with anyone who would listen. This article is about my journe...

Not everyone understands what it means to be twice exceptional. How can you be both ‘learning abled’ and ‘learning disabled’? This doesn't compute. There are two basic misunderstandings here: that the learning disabled aren't smart and that giftedness means high achievement. If someone thinks learning disabled means ‘dumb’ and that the gifted are ‘...

The relationship between giftedness and moral development is complex. One does not have to be gifted to be moral, and the gifted are capable of incredibly destructive, immoral behavior. However, many have observed that gifted children express moral concerns at a younger age and in a more intensified manner than their age peers, and some theorists s...

Instruments with the richest loadings on general intelligence (g) are the most useful for locating gifted children. Spearman’s g represents giftedness. Raven’s Progressive Matrices, Stanford-Binet scales, and Wechsler scales are the most widely used IQ tests in selecting gifted children worldwide. All were founded on the conception of intelligence...

The feminine perspective, the legacy of Leta Hollingworth, focuses on developmental differences in childhood and equal pportunity. The masculine perspective, the legacy of Francis Galton, equates giftedness with eminence. Women, conomically disadvantaged, and culturally diverse groups do not have the same opportunities to attain eminence. The lack...

We have gained profound respect for the 5000 families served by the Gifted Development Center over the last 28 years. These unsung heroes have an uphill battle convincing educators that their children have legitimate needs. They often face a wall of resistance, if not outright hostility. Would those who claim, “All our children are gifted” be as li...

Perfectionism is the most misunderstood aspect of the personality of the gifted. The psychological field characterizes it in extremely negative ways, which may be counterproductive to the development of the gifted individual. There are positive as well as negative aspects of perfectionism, depending on how it is channeled. As one gains higher consc...

This brief paper offers guidelines on recognizing giftedness in young children based on a study of the developmental characteristics of 77 gifted and average children as reported in parent questionnaires. The questionnaire asked parents to describe their children's development during the first 36 months. Major findings indicated that: parents of av...

Clinical judgment is the basis for diagnosis in medicine. Test results are useful within the context of other information obtained, such as presenting symptoms, medical history, family history, and patient interview. The test results themselves are of limited value unless they are interpreted by a skilled clinician who has had experience with the p...

The construct of giftedness as asynchrony has a strong theoretical foundation in the works of Hollingworth, Terrassier, Dabrowski, and Vygotsky. It is a child-centered perspective that can guide parenting, teaching, and counseling of gifted children. Asynchrony comprises uneven development, complexity, intensity, heightened awareness, risk of socia...

This very brief paper summarizes 20 major findings of research on 3000 gifted children over 19 years at the Gifted Development Center (Denver, Colorado). Among findings are: (1) there are more highly gifted children than previously recognized; (2) when one child is gifted, the chances are great that all siblings are gifted; (3) second children are...

This paper discusses the differences between spatial and sequential learning, characteristics of individuals who exhibit stronger visual-spatial learning, and strategies for teaching children with visual-spatial strengths. Techniques include: (1) using visual aids, such as overhead projectors, and visual imagery in lectures; (2) using manipulative...

Although equal numbers of highly gifted boys and girls are found from early childhood until about age 12, 98% of the preeminent adults are male. This may be because, during preadolescence and adolescence, girls receive societal messages that undermine gifted girls' confidence and motivation. A vigorous campaign is needed to establish gender equity...

Children are sponges, absorbing all that their environments have to offer—language patterns, attitudes, values, impressions of themselves. They usually begin life trusting, affectionate, exhilarated with each new discovery. If children are cherished by their parents, they come to cherish themselves and feel secure. A child whose ideas and needs are...

In this article, I use a combination of clinical observations and theoretical propositions to demonstrate that the cognitive complexity and certain personality traits of the gifted create unique experiences and awarenesses that separate them from others. A central feature of the gifted experience is their moral sensitivity, which is essential to th...

Excellence in education of gifted children is the focus of this journal theme issue. Two articles are featured: (1) "Making Connections for the At-Risk Gifted Child" by Mary Kay Finholt and Kathy Peckron, describing an exemplary support system developed for at-risk gifted students in the Rockwood School District in Missouri, which provides attentio...

This graduate-level textbook provides a framework for understanding giftedness, and considers the counseling process and strategies for counseling in the schools. Chapters include: "The Gifted Individual" (Linda Kreger Silverman); "The Quest for Meaning: Counseling Issues with Gifted Children and Adolescents" (Deirdre V. Lovecky); "A Developmental...

L. S. Hollingworth (1886–1939), one of the most neglected pioneers of educational psychology, successfully challenged the prevailing scientific doctrine of women's inferior intelligence. Later in her career she established the field of gifted education, offering the 1st course and textbook in this area. In her tenure at Teachers College, Columbia U...

L. S. Hollingworth (1886–1939), one of the most neglected pioneers of educational psychology, successfully challenged the prevailing scientific doctrine of women's inferior intelligence. Later in her career she established the field of gifted education, offering the 1st course and textbook in this area. In her tenure at Teachers College, Columbia U...

This article briefly addresses the essential ingredients which facilitate the development of girls’ potential. Eight areas are covered: parent education, early identification, gifted peers, early entrance, teacher inservice, special programs, career counseling, and conferences for gifted girls. Specific suggestions are listed for each area.

Leta Stetter Hollingworth was concerned with the unique adjustment problems that gifted children experience. In her writings we find insights into the nature of these problems, their impact at different levels of giftedness, and solutions that could be implemented today. Although in any one article she limited her discussion to five or six of these...

This document consists of six issues (all of volume 2) of a newsletter subtitled "Dedicated to Helping Gifted Children Reach their Full Potential". These issues deal with all aspects of parenting and educating gifted children. Major articles include: "Re-examining the Concept of Underachievement" (Joanne Rand Whitmore); "Student Interests: A Key to...

Far more gifted children suffer from learning disabilities than anyone realizes. When gifts and handicaps exist in one individual, they often mask each other so that the child may appear “average” or an “underachiever.” Thorough diagnosis is necessary to detect major discrepancies between strengths and weaknesses. In clinical assessments many gifte...

Recent trends in moral development theory, especially those proposed by Kohlberg, point in the direction of a holistic approach. Intuitive modes are now more appreciated, as is the perspective religious experience gives. Because cognitive-developmentalism seems stretched beyond its limits, Dabrowski's theory of cognitive disintegration is proposed...

Dabrowski's Theory of Emotional Development provides a basis for understanding potential for higher level development in gifted children and adults. Dabrowski proposed five levels of development, each with a unique personality organization. In this article, a new coding system for assessing levels is presented, based on categories that reflect feel...

Developed a checklist to assist parents in identifying gifted young children. The checklist identified 16 characteristics associated with giftedness, including problem-solving and rapid learning abilities, extensive vocabulary, good memory, long attention span, sensitivity and compassion for others, perfectionism, and perseverance in areas of inter...

The article introduces the special issue of the journal on the issue of intelligence testing as it applies to the identification of gifted students. (Author/CL)

Two talented groups (artists and intellectually gifted) and one comparison group (graduate students from various disciplines) were examined on five dimensions of mental functioning: psychomotor, sensual, intellectual, imaginational, and emotional. These dimensions constitute a model of developmental potential representing, respectively, the persona...

in the same manner as their classmates. The only means of differentiation was pace of learning. In one-room schoolhouses, children were often allowed to progress to the next level when they had completed the current one. The concept of continuous progress was particularly beneficial for gifted students; it is recently being rediscovered. An educati...

Every gift contains a danger. Whatever gift we have we are compelled to express. And if the expression of that gift is blocked, distorted, or merely allowed to languish, then the gift turns against us, and we suffer. (Johnson, 1993, p. 15) What is giftedness all about? It certainly is a term that makes people uncomfortable. I remember going to back...