Children’s stress signals such as headaches, stomach problems, and severe anxiety were reported by many at a support group for parents of profoundly gifted children which my husband and I attended for a few years after we had our two children tested. These parents had put their children in schools for the gifted.
We couldn’t help noticing that these schools weren’t serving these students. But by then we’d learned what a tiny proportion of the population the profoundly gifted are, and consequently, the extent of their special educational needs. The profoundly gifted are as far removed, in IQ points, from the moderately gifted as are the latter from the norm. So it makes sense that regular schools for the gifted can’t serve them.
The solution? In a utopian world, special schools for the profoundly gifted. But how could there ever be enough of these schools, good enough, widely distributed, and affordable? As it is, there almost certainly aren’t enough schools for the moderately gifted, either.
Since our world isn’t perfect, every family has to make the best choice they can. I’ve seen 1. A public, major, organized advocacy campaign by a mother determined to make the public schools do their legally mandated job 2. As above, parents struggling to help their profoundly gifted children cope in schools for the gifted 3. Parents struggling (more) to help their profoundly and moderately gifted children cope in regular public school, sometimes grade-skipping, sometimes just trying to get teachers and counselors to see reason 4. Home schooling
I urge families who see no way they can home school to open their minds to the possibility. No path is going to be problem-free, and all require time and attention. But at least, with home schooling, your time and attention are more likely to be used to help your child learn, rather than in struggling with a difficult situation involving a school.
A Case of Brilliance 