Adjustment of the Gifted Child

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to obtain information regarding the overall adjustment of highly gifted children attending the Chicago public schools and to determine the extent to which this school system is meeting their unique needs. Children included in the study scored 140 or above on a standardized intelligence test administered on a city-wide basis.

Data were gathered through school records and a standardized measure of self-concept. Findings and conclusions are as follows:

1. 1)

Gifted students are not, as many interpret from Terman's research, necessarily better adjusted than the child with average abilities.

2)

The fact that our group of 113 exceptionally bright children ranked at the 25th percentile on Social Confidence and 32nd percentile on Self Acceptance would indicate that these children are in need of counseling to help them reach an adequate social and emotional adjustment. Yet only 13 had been seen by the school psychologist (essentially for testing purposes only), and only 6 had been referred for social work services.