Exceptionally Gifted Children

I read the reviews about this book and bought a used copy (old edition) expecting a book that would change my life. Now my only regret is that I didn't spring for the current edition right up front.First, this book isn't about gifted children - it is about exceptionally and profoundly gifted children. There is a difference. If your child falls into this special group, this is one of the few books you will find that discusses your child - with all the good and the challenges that accompany these extreme gifts.The book has very BORING sections if you are reading for the sake of reading. Be prepared. I didn't skip anything and I don't regret it - but some sections were hard to wade through. In the end, however, some of the charts and tables gave me the insight that I was hoping to get. Also, each chapter has a high level summary - so if you do have trouble wading through a particular chapter, skip to the end of the chapter and figure out what you are supposed to be learning. Decide whether it is worth going back to deal with the details.I started reading the book with the goal of convincing myself that my son didn't belong in this group. The first few chapters with their amazing stories of each child's most wonderful accomplishment left me thinking that I was right. However, as I read further along and got into the meat of the book, I recognized my son in its pages.Ms. Gross holds out hope in her numbers for allowing a very special child to grow up happy and well adjusted. It isn't politically correct to allow a child like this to go at their own pace, but it is healthy - and her data shows it. Quantitative evidence (albeit on a limited sample) to show that these children are not normal and we should celebrate that rather than trying to force the issue.I'm much more prepared for the future with my child than I was before reading this book. I would recommend highly for parents and teachers who are coping with EG and PG kids.

Miraca Gross has brought us an amazing gift: she continued her original 10-year longitudinal study of exceptionally gifted children, and brought us up-to-date another ten years later. Following the pain and successes of these unusual young people over the course of 20 years gives the reader tremendous vistas from which to gain perspective of the way society treats the highly gifted...and what that does to them.If you already think your child is gifted, but she or he isn't "fitting in" you just might have an exceptionally gifted child. Since the intellectual level of these children is high, even compared to other gifted kids, parents don't generally have any true means of comparison. They often have never met any other kids like theirs.Instead of guessing, read this book. You will know--quickly--if you see your kid there. This is NOT a book about "perfect," high-flying, academic achievers. To the contrary: it is a painful examination of how enforced academic underachievement has hurt these kids, and how appropriate intellectual challenge (when they could get it) helped them feel comfortable in their skins.Read this book if you think your child is gifted. Read this book if you "just knew" there was something special about your child when they were little, but they've never fit in school. Read this book if you work with or care for the gifted.

As a clinical psychologist and a parent of an exceptionally gifted son I want to say thanks to Miraca Gross who made a wonderful description of these children. Her deep knowledge and professional insight together with her true respect for these children make this book exceptionally valuable and special. I enjoyed every word of it and it helped me to take a decision to approach the school to accelerate my exceptionally gifted underachiever. I strongly recommend it to all professionals in the field of exceptionally and profoundly gifted children.

I have read quite a few of the books covering exceptionally gifted children. This book is the gold standard, in my opinion. This book has scores upon scores of "a-ha!" moments. It will help you immensely in understanding the exceptionally gifted. Five stars, but the Kindle price should be lower. This is information parents and teachers NEED to know about exceptionally gifted children.

This book documents a 20-year longitudinal study of exceptionally gifted children conducted in Australia in the 1980's and 1990's. The 18 case-studies in the book were selected from a larger study of around 60 children. All were identified on the basis of scoring above 160 IQ on the Stanford-Binet L-M test, meaning they were in the top 0.01% of the population. The children were followed assiduously and all aspects of their development (health, academic, cognitive, social and emotional) were investigated in depth. A noteworthy feature of the study is the near-100% retention rate (only a single subject dropped out), which is remarkable in a study of this duration. The children are identified in the book via pseudonyms, which allows the author to be specific about which of the children a particular incident or anecdote refers to, while preserving their anonymity. Professor Gross traces the development of the children with great sensitivity and empathy. One of the children in the study went on to become one of the world's leading mathematicians.A key feature of the study was the inappropriate education to which many of the children were subjected to, often for years. Professor Gross concludes that exceptionally gifted children require radical academic acceleration of 2 (iand deally 3) years or more. This research has now been confirmed by other studies (e.g. the SMPY study at Johns-Hopkins) and is now reflected in education policies internationally (eg. Singapore and parts of the US and Australia).On the basis of this research Professor Gross won five international research awards, held the position of President of the Gifted and Talented Children's Association of South Australia and was made a Member of the Order of Australia.The book is considerd by many to be the definitive reference on exceptionally gifted children. One could hope that at some point, someone in the UK Department of Education would take note of its conclusions.

Miraca Gross, australische Psychologie-Professorin, fand in den Neunzigern ein Dutzend hochbegabter Schüler/innen, die sie für eine Langzeitstudie erwärmen konnte. Der oft widrige Weg durch das australische Schulsystem, mit völlig unterschiedlichen Erfahrungen und Erfolgen, aber auch die sozialen Beziehungen, der familiäre Hintergrund usw., wurden in Ihrem Buch farbig und anschaulich dokumentiert, ohne die wissenschaftliche Disziplin aus den Augen zu verlieren.