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Some parents, grandparents, and other individuals who participate in raising gifted children as they mature into young adulthood may at first believe that exceptionally talented children and teens will be easy to raise because they are so smart, capable, and effective at certain activities. These teachers and caregivers are not fully informed about working with some types of giftedness and the unique problems that are a part of advanced learners’ approach to schooling.

From my own graduate education, teaching, and social experiences with gifted children and older individuals, including my own, I know that intensity, perfectionism, and social-skills idiosyncrasies create challenges for parents and other caregivers and teachers. These brave and often frustrated educators need help keeping up with gifted learners. Research on educating prodigies suggests that a progressive school that is accelerated and creative is the most likely to help gifted individuals learn to the best of their abilities. A flexible and complex curriculum and teaching approach will hold the interest of their intellectual and creative minds, and a reduction of misbehavior is likely when advanced students are highly engaged in what they are doing.

The Hard Part of Raising Gifted Students

With high intensity and energy, and a strong need to understand some of the difficult ideas that their teachers and parents are presenting, gifted and talented individuals can be challenging in a range of different ways. Their curiosity, emotional concerns, physical........

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