Joan D. Lewis - Advocacy for Gifted Children and Gifted Programs

Gifted learners need the efforts of strong supporters who will advocate for their educational needs. This volume applies the five Ws and an H strategy to advocacy for gifted education: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Several authors, among them, James Gallagher (1997), speak to the need of all children to receive an education that is appropriate for their educational abilities. Gallagher emphasizes that gifted students are an underserved population. In order for this neglect to be reversed in public and private schools, supporters need to learn how to be effective advocates. It is not enough to discuss the characteristics and learning needs of gifted children among fellow supporters; the message must be conveyed to broader audiences of prospective converts (Karnes & Lewis, 1997).

Advocacy in support of appropriate educational opportunities for gifted learners is a necessity. There is no federal mandate; individual states provide varying levels of service. Some states identify gifted learners as early as kindergarten, whereas others dont require identification. States offer various options, which include individual education plans of one kind or another, services for different levels of giftedness, part-time homeschooling, programs for twice-exceptional students, acceleration, and early college/dual enrollment (Hoagies Gifted Education Page, n.d.). Although more states are providing a wider range of options for gifted learners than in the past, service is still inconsistent, frequently permissive rather than required, and not comprehensive for all ages. In addition, in the absence of a federal mandate, state mandates can be withdrawn at any time with no penalty.

Why does there continue to be so little support for gifted education when the function of schools is to teach all children? Undoubtedly, many causes contribute to this inequity. One reason is very few teacher education programs require a class that provides more than a brief mention of the characteristics and resulting educational and affective needs of gifted learners. Consequently, teachers often are unaware that some children are capable of learning at a vastly more advanced level than other children in their grade. Differences in learning ability are difficult to see unless instructional opportunities allow open-ended demonstrations of knowledge and skills.

Some gifted learners advertise themselves with their probing questions and depth of knowledge. They may be seeking attention for their wide range of advanced skills, or they may not be able to disguise their abilities due to their intense enthusiasm for learning. Sometimes this obvious display of advanced abilities is recognized by teachers and appropriate educational options are offered. However, some teachers may be annoyed or intimidated by these students intensities and neglect their educational needs altogether.

Peer relations often are another source of stress for gifted children because they tend to have more advanced friendship needs (Gross, 2002). Such students develop a variety of responses to the growing realization that they arent like others their age. Peers may tease or bully bright youth because they are different. As a result, already strained social interactions with peers can deteriorate.

Some students become more assertive in demonstrating their skills, and others may pursue their own interests quietly. A sizable number of children with gifted abilities strive to hide among the crowd by intentionally or unintentionally under-achieving. Although a few gifted individuals need individual or group counseling, all gifted learners need guidance to help them learn to understand themselves and make the most of their abilities. They also need academic and career counseling considerably earlier than other students because of their advanced intellectual abilities and often more intense emotional responses (Silverman, 1993).