THEEonardo, at four years old, dismantles the alarm clock to understand how he can “count time”; Sara, five years old, fills notebooks with imaginary maps; Tommaso, in third grade, struggles to sit still in class but at home he composes melodies on the piano without anyone having taught him. All three are “gifted” children: they think differently, faster, deeper, broader. Despite representing around 5 percent of Italian students, at least one per class, many remain invisible: confused with the “good” ones, or mistaken for distracted, restless, “difficult” students.
Gifted children: a particular brain
Giftedness, or giftedness, is a complex phenomenon and, precisely for this reason, different definitions coexist in the academic world. Some models focus primarily on IQ; others include dimensions such as creative thinkingleadership, motivation, emotional sensitivity. «The concept does not coincide with being simply “very intelligent”, but concerns a particular way of functioning of the brain: a structure that allows us to grasp connections, process information and learn with often atypical methods and speeds» explains Maria Assunta Zanetti, professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology and founder of LabTalento of the University of Paviathe first Italian university center dedicated to children and young people with high potential.
«Despite having a natural need to go beyond the known, a strong creativity, I would avoid labels such as “geniuses”: they often anticipate some stages in verbal or numerical development, while at the same time showing more fragile areas». For fourteen years the LabTalento welcomes primary school children and teenagers. Here there are no lectures or grades given, we work through workshops, creative activities, practical experiences ranging from STEM to the arts: a way to bring intelligence, emotions and curiosity into dialogue. «More and more often they turn to us young adults, some are university students, like a mathematics student from the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa. They arrive after tortuous school paths, because their peculiarity had remained unnoticed.”
A form of neurodivergence
«Giftedness is a form of neurodivergence, not a pathology» underlines Zanetti. «This different mode of operation it is not something to be corrected or “cured”but to be understood and supported. For this reason the specialist does not formulate a diagnosis, a term that belongs to the medical field, but issues a certification, which has the aim of describing the cognitive profile of the person and orienting the most appropriate educational interventions”. Sometimes the process can be complex. «There is, for example, the so-called double exceptionality: when the high potential coexists with a learning disability or with autism spectrum traits. In these cases, very high capacities and important fragilities coexist, and only an integrated look allows us to recognize and accompany them both.” Not by chance the recognition criteria do not end with exceeding an IQ of 130. «It is important to observe how these children process thoughts and their emotional profile, which is often more vulnerable. Many encounter difficulties in relationships with peers.”
In Italy, one child in twenty is gifted, but many remain invisible: confused with the “good” ones, misunderstood as restless (Getty Images)
Social anxiety and mood instability
Many gifted childrenexplains Daniela Lucangeli, professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Padua, exhibit marked developmental asynchrony: «We could say that their cognitive growth proceeds more rapidly than their emotional growth: it is like a flower that blooms too early». The distance between mind and emotions can translate into various difficulties: «In the little ones, fear of making mistakes, perfectionism and hypersensitivity emerge; social anxiety, withdrawal, mood instability or oppositional behaviors may appear in adolescents.” These risks are amplified when the educational environment is not adequate: «When, that is, the school only values performance, or when the family, despite having the best intentions, solicits talent more than it supports emotional balance».
Don’t feel judged
The first step, explains Lucangeli, is surprisingly simple: «A child or young person with high potential needs stimulation, but even more he needs a safe space, in which he can make mistakes without feeling judged». Recognizing his qualities, therefore, does not mean transforming them into a performance expectation: «Competitive pressure ends up crushing the mind and obscuring its best parts». Alongside stimuli «it is equally important to support the less strong areas, to help the child explore even what is less natural to him, to harmonize all his functions. Otherwise he risks isolating himself, taking refuge only in what is easy for him.” Even parents of “gifted children” should be accompanied on a path of awareness. «In fact, giftedness has a strong hereditary component» specifies Zanetti. «In Italy, around 5 percent of minors are gifted and, in 50 percent of cases, we also find similar characteristics in the parents.”
The decisive role of the school
School has a decisive role: it can accompany a talent so that it finds space and meaning, or suffocate it. «Personalized teaching is necessary and desirable for all students; for gifted children, even more so” observes Lucangeli, who directs the master’s degree in Padua “in Intervention models and methodologies for BES (Special Educational Needs), DSA (specific learning disorders) and gifted children”. «Customizing does not mean creating separate paths, but modulating times, requests and levels of challenge». For example, «the tasks addressed to these students must be stimulating, not simple series of repetitive exercises» explains Lara Milan, author of the volume “Plus-endowed and talented. Do’s and don’ts” (Erickson). The differences between “brilliant” students and gifted students, in fact, are profound. «Bright students are attentive, apply themselves consistently and learn easily after a certain number of repetitions» continues Milan. “Gifted students, on the other hand, are driven by intense curiosity, are not satisfied with the explanations received and ask many questions.”
An advanced regulation
On paper, Italy has advanced regulations. In everyday reality, however, the situation is still uneven. «Since 2012 we have activated various training courses and a network agreement “School educates talent”, to which we have added a Master’s degree, training over a thousand teachers» explains Zanetti. «But they are still too few: more widespread and widespread training would be needed». In fact, the lack of skills leads to the risk of some recurring errors: «It happens that teachers give priority to supporting students with DSA, while they think that gifted people “can handle it on their own”. It’s a risky ideabecause the gift, to transform itself into talent, must be guided and recognized in time.” However, something is moving on this front: on 7 October the Senate approved a very relevant document for Italian legislation. The “Provisions in favor of pupils and students with high cognitive potential” introduce a specific regulatory framework for the recognition and school inclusion of these children and young people.
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