A darker side: Meeting the challenge of the "gifted" child

Ever parent wants a bright child, but often high intelligence is accompanied by liabilities. Many "gifted" children lag "behind" their peers in social skills, motor skills and sensory integration, writes Kathryn Holmquist

Imagine the frustration of being so bright, that you understand that you cannot keep up with your friends. You cannot concentrate like they can, you're clumsier than they are, you perceive the world in a confused way, which makes it harder for you to "fit in". At the same time, you perceive far more intellectually than they do, so the subjects you are supposed to be concentrating on are "boring".

In the recent past, such children have been considered "bold" and "behaviourally disturbed". Today, parents and teachers are showing an increasing awareness that these children need to be understood and supported in line with their special needs if they are to cope with life. This is the subject of the Irish Association for Gifted Children's third international conference at St Andrew's College, Dublin, on October 4th and 5th, 6.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. and 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. respectively).

The cost is €45 per person. For further information contact: IAGC@eircom.net and lgraves@eircom.net or call the IAGC on (01) 873 5702.