Giftedness

Leta Hollingworth coined the term gifted in a 1923 book titled Special Talents and Defects: Their Significance for Education. Nearly 100 years later, the most popular definition of giftedness is quite broad and refers to possessing outstanding talent and performing at high levels relative to peers. The talent and performance domains that are often included in the definition of giftedness are high intelligence, specific academic aptitudes, leadership ability, psychomotor ability, and creative ability.

Although seemingly incompatible in an encyclopedia on intellectual and developmental disorders, the subject of giftedness is relevant to this topic in several ways. First, like individuals with intellectual and developmental disorders, individuals who are gifted are often identified by school districts and may utilize different school resources than typically developing peers. Second, similar ...