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Creative giftedness is different from intellectual giftedness

January 18, 2017 in Blog

April_iHeartBlog

Intellectual giftedness is different from creative giftedness. They are correlated, but they each have unique correlates, and sometimes even have *opposite* correlates. Students who are intellectually gifted tend to be excellent on-the-spot problem solvers and can absorb knowledge like a sponge, whereas creative giftedness can easily be misdiagnosed as ADHD because it’s correlated with impulsivity and distractibility– traits which eventually can lead to high creative achievement when coupled with other characteristics, but which in a *classroom environment* can be treated as a disability. This is very unfortunate, and I wish the gifted education literature would make the distinction between intellectual and creative giftedness more frequently, rather than just use the general label “gifted child” to refer to intellectual giftedness. Creatively gifted students deserve that label just as much as any other child when it comes to getting the resources they need to thrive.


3 Responses to “Creative giftedness is different from intellectual giftedness”

  1. Murilo says:

    The populations, in general, are ‘allergic’ to both kind of gifted…
    Much more to those more creative, abstracting, ‘figurative’, guesser and inventor!
    MUCH more indeed!
    As allergic I mean those who even avoid to admit the existence!

  2. Interesting Scott – where can I get more information on this? Would love to read the research or analysis that leads you to this conclusion. Warmly, Kellie