Underachievements in Gifted Child

Ellen says: Parents of gifted children are often surprised and dismayed when their children underachieve in school. The key to helping an underachiever succeed is understanding the causes of underachievement

Gifted children with a disability are said to have dual exceptionalities and are sometimes called "twice-exceptional children." They are difficult to identify because they look like an average learners: they are bright enough to compensate for their disability, so even though they are passing, they are working below their potential, which means they are underachieving.

That is why , as a parent of gifted children I need to be more understanding.

Inattentiveness vs Multitasking

Ellen says: As a mother of a gifted child, I learned to research more, so that it would be easy for me to deal with my son and the other way around. Well, this time let me share about the inattentiveness to multi tasking that usually an issue to a gifted one.

Surprisingly, gifted children can continue to follow what a teacher is saying so that when the teacher calls on a gifted child who looks like he hasn't been paying attention, the child can answer the question without any problem. However, it's also quite possible that a child can become so engrossed in his own thoughts that he is essentially in another world and doesn't even hear the teacher, even when his name is called.

To the teacher, the child looks as though he is not interested in learning, but the opposite is usually true: the child is very interested in learning, but has already learned the material being discussed and therefore isn't learning anything. Consequently, the child retreats to the rich, inner life so typical of gifted children.