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Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences has impacted the educational community since its inception in 1983. The theory became the framework for Gifted and Talented Education, in that it broaden the scope of giftedness to be defined in the context of students being identified with nontraditional gifts and talents as well as combinations of giftedness and learning disabilities. The Howard Gardner School has emerged to address the needs of the gifted and talented population in an alternative high school setting based upon the theory of multiple intelligences (MI). The purpose of this portrait was to understand and describe the creation and evolution of the Howard Gardner School (HGS) as it was established to provide an innovative approach to educating the bright and creative student. The study included a review of the literature regarding educating gifted and talented students, MI theory and its practical application, and alternative schools and alternative programs. The investigation attempted to understand how the Howard Gardner School achieved its mission and whether it has remained true to the success factors of an alternative school as well as to the tenets of the theory of multiple intelligences. Data for this study was collected during unstructured interviews, observations, and analysis of documents and artifacts. Findings from this study provided insight for school systems, educators, parents, students, policy makers, and researchers about the unusual or unique situation at the Howard Gardner School and implications for educating gifted and talented secondary students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This is a qualitative study that examined the attitudes and practices of five leaders of minority urban Christian schools in the eastern United States. Each school had to be a member of the Association of Christian Schools International, be at least 75% African American and/or Hispanic, have at least 90 students, enjoy at least 75% reenrollment, and have the same leader for the last three years. The study found the leaders empowered by a strong sense of spiritual calling (responsibility and appropriate giftedness) expressed in missional service to their local communities. Students reenrolled because of satisfying relationships, safety, and good academics at these schools. Knowledge of civil rights history and other urban issues were relatively secondary in the leaders' motivations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This qualitative study examined the effects giftedness and ADD/ADHD has on the talent development process of gifted individuals with ADD/ADHD. There is abundant research on the negative influences ADD/ADHD has on academic achievement and psycho-social functioning (Barkley, 1998); however, there is a dearth of research on gifted individuals with ADD/ADHD. Talent development and gifted research have found both environmental catalysts, such as a supportive environment, and internal characteristics, such as an internal locus of control and persistence, as contributing to the development of talent (Bloom 1982). These characteristics are the opposite of the characteristics of an individual with ADD/ADHD (i.e. external locus of control, lack of persistence) (Brand, Dunn, & Greb, 2002). The effects of the confluence of these catalysts on the talent development for gifted individuals with ADD/ADHD are less known. The participants of this study were one female and three male college graduates, ages 27–36 years-old, from middle class families from diverse communities. All were identified gifted in elementary school, and two were diagnosed ADD/ADHD as children and two as adults. Data were collected through interviews with the participants and their parents, and assessments. Analysis was conducted through coding, pattern matching, display matrices, and descriptive analysis. Findings revealed the following to be major influences in the talent development process for these individuals: (a) the symptoms of ADD/ADHD, (b) personal support, (c) quality of acceleration, and (d) internal coping mechanisms. More research is needed to determine other factors that may affect talent development in this population and to generalize findings to the wider population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The primary goal of this study is to use Borkowski's model as a guide to explore the role of metacognitive and executive functions skills to help develop a cognitive profile of gifted students. The specific variables to examined included: (1) grade point average (GPA) and achievement level, (2) students'/parents' perceptions of students' metacognitive and EF skills, (3) students' demonstrated EF skills, (4) achievement motivation/personality characteristics and (5) attitudes towards school. The secondary goal was to determine whether gifted students demonstrate superior metacognitive and EF skills. Participants were grade nine and ten gifted students recruited during spring and fall from a high school with a large specialized gifted program. The participants consisted of 59 gifted high school students (35 females, 24 males). In addition to providing information (age, grade, gender), all students completed three paper and pencil questionnaires; (1) Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, parents also completed a parent version of this test, (2) Achievement Motivation Profile, and (3) School Attitudes Assessment Survey-Revised. Fall participants were individually administered three subtests of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System. Students' grade point averages (GPA) were provided by a parent which allowed for categorization as either achievers or underachievers. Results revealed girls had significantly higher GPA than boys and underachievers had significantly lower GPA compared to their achieving peers. Parents and students had similar assessments of students' metacognitive skills: however, parents reported higher levels of Monitoring than students. This gifted sample demonstrated superior EF skills in verbal fluency, however, other demonstrated EF skills fell in the average range. Parents reported that boys had significantly more problems compared to girls in their ability to initiate, monitor, use working memory and plan/organize. Underachievers reported significantly lower levels in their ability to follow-though in achieving and completing tasks, while girls had higher levels in their achievement, motivation and planning/organization. Students had average positive attitudes towards teachers/classes and highly positive attitudes towards school. Results suggest that gender and verbal fluency skills may play an important role in the cognitive profile of this gifted high school sample. These results will also help educators in understanding gifted underachievement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

What explains the persistent disparate enrollment of black students in gifted and talented education programs? The bulk of the literature attributes these enrollment patterns to teacher bias against black students, a lack of knowledge about how giftedness manifests itself in black youth, and the apathy of black parents in the identification process. I argue that disparate enrollment persists because of a participation paradox in education. Politicians and policymakers encourage black parents to become involved in the identification process. However, educators are resistant when members of the black community advocate for access to GATE in the same ways that white parents do so because these forms of participation threaten educators' status as identification experts. More specifically, I argue that the distribution of GATE enrollments is a function of how state and federal governments structure the relationship between education advocates (parents and community members) and educators (teachers and administrators). I find that educational outcomes are less a function of teacher bias and parent motivation than they are a function of strategic professional responses to political pressure. I develop the theory of proprietary threat which addresses the question of how democratic responsiveness is achieved in the areas of government where bureaucratic agents are poised to provide the most immediate response to the public. The theory of proprietary threat elaborates on the policy implementer's decision-making process when facing competing claims for public goods within environments with various power-sharing arrangements between national, state, and local governments. The theory posits that policy implementers who want to maintain their status as the primary experts in their fields will be preemptive in policy implementation when members of the public are likely to engage in activities that copy and compete with their services. I employ a multiple-level mixed methods research strategy. The analysis includes an in-depth case study state legislations and statistical analyses of the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods Survey. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this study is to conduct a theoretical exploration into the conceptual interrelationships among information processing, psychosocial adjustment, and sensory processing in the population of gifted youth. Although researchers have now been studying various aspects of giftedness for almost a century, many controversies persist with regard to the psychological functioning of gifted children and adolescents. The aim of this study is to develop more conceptual clarity regarding information processing, psychosocial adjustment, and sensory processing in gifted youth to contribute to the understanding of how these constructs manifest themselves and bear upon the phenomenology of giftedness. This will involve a creative integration of theory and research across various disciplines, including psychology, medicine, and occupational therapy. Four major areas of conceptualization are included: social and emotional characteristics of gifted youth, psychosocial adjustment of gifted youth, processing and intelligence, and processing and temperament. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

This study examined the effects of student characteristics on mathematics achievement for three definitions of giftedness (gifted in general, mathematically gifted, and high achieving) from kindergarten through fifth grade using a nationally representative data set, that of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study. It employed a hierarchical linear model to estimate the impact of student characteristics on the initial status and slope of the Item Response Theory-scaled mathematics scores (dependent variable) of children across time. The student characteristics used were gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, definition of giftedness, initial reading ability, and motivation in 3rd grade. Findings showed that student characteristics accounted for over half of the variability in student's initial status. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

There are a wide variety of theories, beliefs, and practices as to what constitutes intelligence, how to define and measure giftedness, and why gifted students academically achieve or underachieve. However, while the current trend is to include other gifted eligibility criteria, in addition to mental ability, more studies are needed as to how academic success relates to gifted eligibility requirements. This study utilized a quantitative research design to compare the Grade Point Averages of recently graduated seniors (N=25), who had previously been identified as gifted based on the Forsyth County School System and the state of Georgia's procedures and rules determining such status. Of the 25, 13 (52%) were males, and 12 (48%) were female, nine (36%) had qualified under the psychometric approach and 16 (64%) became eligible under the multiple criteria approach. While all qualified for the gifted program while attending Forsyth County schools, the grade levels at which eligibility was established ranged from as early as Kindergarten to Grade 8. Data was collected from each participant's gifted folder, as well as from the system's online grading program. Descriptive statistical methods, one-tailed t-tests, and probability ( p) values were used in the analysis of the data. Results indicated no significant differences in academic performance, as measured by the academic Overall, Language Arts/Social Studies, and Math/Science GPAs, when compared to eligibility criteria results. However, this study offers several implications and recommendations for school systems and individual schools as to the identification, curriculum, instructional planning, and support of their gifted students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study involved the creation, development, and evaluation of the HOPE Scale, a 13-item teacher rating instrument to help educators identify students from traditionally underrepresented populations such as those from low-income, Hispanic, African American, or Native American families. Scale items related to academic and social components of giftedness and talent. To accomplish this goal, the HOPE Scale was completed by approximately 350 teachers on their respective 5995 students in the fall of 2007. Subsamples of these data were then analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in order to determine the model that best fit the data. When these analyses were completed, the resulting model contained eight items on the Academic Scale, three items on the Social Scale, and two items were discarded. A Revised HOPE Scale was then created and administered by a new sample of 71 teachers on their respective 1700 students in the spring of 2008. A similar CFA was conducted which was followed by multi-group CFA (MCFA) procedures to evaluate across-group equivalence for gender, income, and racial/ethnic groups. The MCFA procedures indicated that differential item functioning was not present for income or racial/ethnic groups, but that some non-equivalence was present when comparing gender groups. The Revised HOPE Scale was also evaluated using multilevel modeling (MLM) to determine the effects of different predictor variables (income, gender, ethnicity/race) within the context of the classroom teacher as a clustering variable. These results indicated that low-income, African American, Asian, and Hispanic student status were all negative predictors of HOPE Scale subscores. However, each variable was only in the small range for effect size, indicating a relatively small influence on subscale score. In general, the HOPE Scale performed well for various gender, income, and ethnic/racial groups. Practitioners are cautioned to use local norms when making student comparisons as mean scores for certain groups (e.g., low-income students) are lower than for others. The creation of local, specific group norms will help educators better understand how certain students compare to others of similar background and experience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

A broadened conception of giftedness has impacted the language and nature of the field of gifted education, making talent development its central metaphor. Despite the emergence of the talent development paradigm, relatively little talent development research exists among racially and socioeconomically diverse learners. The purpose of this study was to expand upon talent development research and to examine how well academic potential predicts success. This study employed secondary data analysis of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). Françoys Gagné's Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent served as the theoretical and conceptual framework. The analytic sample included 1,916 Black and White eighth grade students who scored in the top decile within their racial group on any one of four base-year achievement tests. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were used to examine educational degree attainment and occupational prestige. Findings revealed that socioeconomic indicators were the most influential predictors of success for both Black and White students. Additional common predictors of success included attending a private school, grades being important, and participation in gifted programs for Black students and Advanced Placement programs for White students. Additional findings demonstrated comparable educational degree attainment and occupational prestige across race and levels of academic potential. Several interrelated implications for policy, practice, and research emerged from this study. Most notably, policy implications include establishing identification policies that err on the side of inclusion, and a shift in focus from early indicators of the achievement gap to an emphasis on long-term educational and life outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Research indicates that social and emotional factors play a very important role in the achievement levels of all learners and especially so for gifted populations. This qualitative multi-case study was designed to explore, with a sample of secondary level gifted students, their lived experiences and the influences that contribute to their learning success. The rationale for this study stems from the researcher’s desire to discover ways to better support secondary gifted students and to help them find more engagement and passion in school. The purposefully selected sample was composed of five students at the middle and high school levels who had been previously identified as gifted. Additionally, another 17 participants (parents, teachers, administrators, counselors, and one school board member) were included in the study to lend further insight into the experiences of the student participants. The primary data collection method was in-depth interviews. Supportive methods included multiple classroom observations and document analysis. The data were coded and organized according to the researcher’s questions. Analysis and interpretation of findings were organized according to this abbreviated conceptual framework: (a) Intrinsic and extrinsic influences; (b) Programming; (c) Achievement; (d) Relationships; (e) Affective struggles; (f) Understanding. This research revealed that affective factors influenced these students greatly (in positive and negative ways) and these social and emotional student needs are rarely addressed at school. Further, it was discovered that the students lacked meaningful relationships with teachers at school and that there was a general lack of understanding about giftedness across all sections of this learning community. Recommendations are made for the school district, specific school sites, teachers, parents, and students as well as for future research possibilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of the present investigation was to analyze the measures used in a New Jersey Public School district for the assessment of giftedness among male and female Intermediate and Middle School children. In addition to gender, special education classification status was also evaluated as a variable. Educational data of 89 male and 60 female students who were assessed for giftedness using an achievement index rubric based on the weight of three criteria, (i.e. New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge standardized assessment data, the Scales for Rating the Behavior Characteristics of Superior Students data, and classroom grades) was evaluated. It was hypothesized that the more subjective component of the district's assessment process would be the best predictor of acceptance to the Enrichment Program. It was additionally hypothesized that there would be a significant difference between the Tier I assessment performance of male and female students. It was also hypothesized that there would be a significant difference between the Tier 1 assessment performance of special education and general education students. Finally, while it was believed that the district's assessment methodology would exhibit the ability to differentiate between the gifted and general student populations, it was hypothesized that an exploratory analysis of measures would reveal significant limitations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

The objective of this study was to conduct exploratory research addressing the primary question, “To what extent is there evidence of underachievement among white, middle- and high socioeconomic status (SES) gifted males?” An underachieving gifted student (UAG) in this study was defined as a student possessing characteristics of both an accelerated learner and a low performer. Giftedness was defined by school district identification; underachievement was measured by school GPA ≤ 2.0. (District population 18,500, 51% male, 44% white, M/H SES 77%; Gifted population within district 3,133, 1,446 male, 2,060 white, 84% M/H SES.) The study found UAG existed in a small percent of the sub-group evaluated. The secondary questions of which factors in school performance appeared to be contributing to UAG within the sub-group and how members of the population perceived themselves in relation to their school experience were explored. A combination of quantitative and qualitative research methodology was utilized in the study. Descriptive statistics were generated through computer sort, the School Attitude and Assessment Survey-Revised (SAAS-R, D.B.McCoach, 2002) was administered to sub-group members, and structured interviews utilizing a constructivist interpretive paradigm were conducted with triangulated groups of students, parents, and teachers. The sample obtained similar Cronbach Alpha reliabilities on four of the five SAAS-R factors as the original survey with the exception of Academic Self-Perception (ASP) [Sample ASP (.635); original (.890)]. Ten thematic lines of commonality emerged in the study: high level of internal challenge, constancy of stress, mismatch between individual thinking patterns and school structure, high EQ/IQ indicators, internal asynchrony, relative importance of sociability, intellectual skill gaps, resilience, coping mechanism development, and sub rosa functioning. The purposes of the study, to begin filling an existing gap in literature on gifted underachievement, provide description of the sample, give voice to actual members of the population, and provide information of use in continued development of effective differentiated instruction were addressed. Results indicated that the sub-group contains members who could be considered “at-risk” in terms of traditional academic achievement. The implication is that students traditionally considered as “advantaged” also require individual attention in order to thrive within our schools. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

On the tenth anniversary of a series of school rampage shootings in Springfield, Oregon, Littleton, Colorado, and Conyers, Georgia, the purpose of this study was to determine whether there were indications of intellectual, academic, or creative giftedness with emotional/behavioral disorders in the perpetrators. In addition, through historiographical methods, this study was designed to allow for themes to surface from the authentic writings of the adolescent shooters. Similarities in previous research results are reported in the meta-analysis, and categories derived from my analysis of the writings of Kip Kinkel, Eric Harris, Dylan Klebold, and T.J. Solomon are indicated in the analysis chapter. These categories are: (1) existential thinking, (2) control/power, (3) image, (4) blame, (5) cognitive/affective thinking problems, (6) lacking meaningful connections, (7) meaningful connections, (8) creativity, and (9) intellectualization. In addition, two themes surfaced in this study. They are: (1) The desires of the boys to improve their image may have been their motivation to take control of the negative circumstances in which they perceived themselves to be; and (2) The perpetrators felt devalued for their natural proclivities for creative and/or intellectual strengths, which may have caused them to question existentially why they were here, and to blame a higher power for their burdens. Finally, the themes evolved into one assertion. The aforementioned themes may have contributed to self-doubt of their value in the world; hence, contributions toward a diminished level of social-emotional self-efficacy may have deepened, which in turn, may have stimulated their need for gaining power and control to improve their image according to their perceptions and the perceptions of their peers. The implications of this study are discussed, along with several recommendations for future studies and programming for G/T children and for children with E/BD's. Finally, I share recommendations for those involved with the criminal aspects of these and future cases. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Part one of this study relied on archival data of an urban public high school to explain and compare the Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) course taking patterns and program exam performance of high school students who had participated in the district's program for gifted learners, the Extended Learning Program (ELP), when in grades 4-8, with those that did not. Adapting Gagne's (2003, 2004) Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMTG) as a conceptual framework, part two of this study examined the intrapersonal and environmental catalysts affecting the talent development process as perceived by seniors, enrolled in an AP or IB course. Seniors taking AP or IB and who had participated in the Extended Learning Program, were asked for their perceptions of the program's role in enhancing high-level performance and creative interest. From archival data, former ELP students enrolled in more AP and IB courses, had higher mean scores on AP and IB exams, earned over 85% of the AP and IB awards, and were more likely to graduate when compared to non-ELP students. From survey data students indicated that they perceived their internal characteristics as most responsible for their talent development process, noting hard work and persistence as critical traits. Those who had participated in the ELP found it offered opportunities to be with like peers, to work on challenging and advanced curricula, and to better prepare for the academic challenges ahead. Based on these findings, recommendations for policy that focus on the need for longitudinal tracking of gifted learners across elementary and secondary levels are made. Recommendations for practice include work with counselors to provide appropriate assistance in academic planning, especially for underserved populations. Suggestions for future research include studies that examine teacher receptivity to promoting talent development processes in gifted and high ability learners. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study examined the talent development of five Davidson Fellowship science winners using the Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent. The Davidson Fellowship program recognizes students under the age of 18 who have completed a significant piece of original work in one of six fields: science, technology, mathematics, music, literature, or philosophy. Parents of four of the Fellows also participated in the multiple-case study, which used semi-structured phone interviews to gather data. The cross-case analysis of this multiple-case study revealed that the Fellows traveled multiple pathways to success. Each Fellow and his family took advantage of different educational options, formal and informal. No consistent educational programming existed across participants from different schools in different areas of the country, except AP® courses and science fairs. The Fellows encountered a number of different negative catalysts in the environment, including a lack of challenge in the public schools, inconsistent treatment by teachers and administrators, variable availability of challenging school and extracurricular opportunities, difficulties with peers, and challenging logistical arrangements necessary for participation in extracurricular opportunities. The strength of these negative catalysts was offset by a number of protective factors, or positive catalysts. The positive catalysts were both strong and numerous in each of the Fellows. Each Fellow presented evidence of very high ability. They were healthy. They were raised in supportive learning environments that encouraged taking risks, striving for excellence, and improvement over earning good grades. They had multiple supportive adults in their lives: parents, teachers, and mentors who created a layered support system. When one adult was not available, there were others on whom the student could depend in a crisis. The parent relationship was particularly strong. Each Fellow reported, and each of the parents confirmed, a uniquely supportive relationship with their parents marked by mutual respect and admiration. Each Fellow presented strong motivation for his work. Each displayed a candid awareness of his own strengths and weaknesses, and a willingness to confront and apply himself to remedy weaknesses. They all presented compelling evidence of a tenacious perseverance. Stronger than the negative catalysts, these positive catalysts worked in concert to protect the individual against failure or resignation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Twice-exceptionality can be defined as the co-occurrence of intellectual giftedness and disability, including academic, social-emotional, and behavioral problems. There is a lack of empirical research examining the area of twice-exceptionality; and, as a result, there is insufficient support for the current definitions, identification criteria, and interventions employed for twice-exceptional individuals. The heterogeneity of this population highlights the importance of exploring the cognitive patterns present among twice-exceptional individuals to facilitate the identification as well as the treatment of this population. The present study examined the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition (WISC-IV; Wechsler, 2003) profiles of 95 twice-exceptional children and adolescents to facilitate the discovery of subtype patterns present among this group. A two-stage cluster analysis revealed 7 twice-exceptional subtypes that were differentiated primarily by level of performance on the 4 factor scores. The identified twice- exceptional subtypes provide information about characteristic strengths and weaknesses that not only facilitate the identification of twice-exceptional students, but also carry implications for educational intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

The current project is the first study to investigate the competence of academically gifted youth across multiple dimensions of the peer system. To date, there is no comprehensive examination of the social functioning of gifted youth, severely limiting what is known about the overall social world of gifted youth and the extent to which the subset of gifted youth with peer problems experience the same adjustment difficulties related to negative peer interactions. By examining how aspects of sociometric status, friendship and social network centrality relate to a myriad of outcome variables, the current study permits a comprehensive investigation of the risk profile associated with problematic peer relations among gifted youth within the adjustment domains (behavioral, academic and psychological functioning). Participants included 327 adolescents, 149 identified as gifted, who were initially assessed in the 7th grade and were then reassessed 2 years later. Consistent with prior research, findings from the current student provided evidence that academic giftedness was generally associated with more positive peer relations as well as more positive functioning across behavioral, academic and adjustment domains when compared to non-gifted adolescents. However, findings from the current study did not find evidence suggesting that gifted youth experience significantly less peer problems than their non-gifted peers. As such, the current study substantiates predictions that there are indeed subgroups of gifted youth who experience peer problems and they were found to be similarly at risk as non-gifted adolescents with peer problems regarding negative behavioral, academic and psychological adjustment. However, the most alarming finding revealed that the negative effects of being rejected were more pronounced for gifted students, who were the most victimized students in the entire sample, even more than non-gifted peers who were rejected. Findings from the current study highlight the complexity of the social world of gifted adolescents and underscore the importance for future research to continue examining the social difficulties of gifted youth. Limitations and implications of these results are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this study was to determine what has been written about family therapy in the school setting in the professional literature of the fields of family studies, family therapy, and education from 1999 to July 2010. Selected terms related to systemic family therapy in the school setting were used to search 18 scholarly/academic journals for articles on this topic. The number of articles found was presented as a percentage of the total number of articles published in the journal in the specified period of time. The professions of the authors of the articles were presented. The articles that met the selection criteria were qualitatively analyzed for themes. One predominant theme emerged through analysis of the texts: the usefulness of systemic family therapy in the school setting. No article was found that did not support the use of family therapy in schools. Passages of text from the articles were presented to illustrate the theme. Most articles discussed the usefulness of family therapy in the school setting for children's behavior problems. Texts illustrated the uses of family therapy in the school setting for diverse issues including selective mutism, giftedness, disability, asthma management, and dating adolescent couples. Conclusions from this content analysis, along with limitations and implications, are discussed. Recommendations for future research in the three fields, family studies, family therapy, and education, in the area of family therapy in the school setting are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

The study examined parents’ help-seeking behavior during the gifted identification process. The literature on help seeking reveals an extensive body of research. However, the research exploring parents’ help-seeking behavior for gifted children is nonexistent, despite the fact that children identified as gifted frequently experience academic, social, emotional and behavioral problems. Parents of children who had been identified as gifted were surveyed to (a) identify the number, type and variety of informal and formal sources parents consult when they suspect their child is gifted, and (b) identify socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age, education, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity) associated with these patterns of help seeking. Informal sources included family members, friends, parent groups, Internet research, and books and articles on giftedness. Formal sources included teachers, pediatricians, psychologists, and other mental health professionals. Of those surveyed, 86% reported that academic issues were important or very important in their decision to seek help during the gifted identification process, while 66% reported that social, emotional, or behavioral issues were important or very important in their decision. Parents reported consulting an average of four informal or formal sources of support, and the majority of parents reported equal use of informal and formal sources. Results indicated that, similar to help seeking patterns for mental health or medical issues, a vast majority of respondents consulted both informal and formal sources. Although the results of this study did not support a significant correlation between parents’ overall help-seeking approach and socio-demographic variables, certain variables were significantly correlated with use of informal versus formal sources. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)