Meeting the educational needs of a gifted child: A parent’s narrative

Abstract

India is currently focusing on providing education for all, and special population like the gifted is being neglected. This is evident in the case of Aditya (IQ 145), a 7-year-old boy, and his parents who after discovering that their child is gifted attempt to meet his unique educational needs. Despite evidence of Aditya qualifying in examination two grades above his age level, the school authorities neither offer acceleration nor provide appropriate resources. This study attempts to delineate the importance of combined efforts of parent, school, and the community in nurturing gifted children. Finally, the researcher makes a few recommendations for parents: (i) create support groups to share parenting experiences; (ii) explore online and local learning resources to educate themselves about giftedness and nurture their children; and (iii) identify mentors in the community or other parents who can support in meeting the educational needs of these children.