On Giftedness

Catch up time. I haven't blogged in about two weeks.

During the last week of May, the PSHS faculty in Luzon hied away to Baguio to discuss how to handle gifted children. When my bosses asked if I would be willing to end my summer vacation early for this affair, I grabbed the chance. I don't have an education degree so I take these events as opportunities to improve in a profession I have decided to get into.

I'd say it was a rewarding experience. Of course, I knew there were different kinds of giftedness. Being gifted is not always academic excellence. There are those gifted in the arts, literature and music. That is the usual area people look at when being gifted is discussed. There are also those that are gifted in public speaking and interpersonal relationships. Probably, they are the ones who conduct assertiveness training sessions.

What surprsied me was the discussion about TEPs or twice exceptional persons. These are gifted people who also have mental or physical challenges. The thing about the physically challenged was not news to me. I could possibly be in that list with my eye problem. There are many individuals who have gone to college in wheelchairs with accomodations by their schools. I've had a student in one of my workshops who brought his own chair along with two helpers.

The thing about the mentally challenged being gifted was what got me. I have to admit, I never looked at autistics, Aspergers and ADHD as possibly gifted.

But why not? Those that used to be called idiot savant were obviously gifted otherwise they would not be called savants. Incidents when attention deficiency manifested could have been griggered by boredom in class because their teachers were not posting enough challenges.

Really, one should not be quick to judge the capabilities of anybody.