“Gifted children”. At the mere hearing of these two words our mind starts jumping to conclusions. We tend to visualize them as little Einsteins who spend their days solving equations or as children prodigies in the manner of Mozart. The reality is far more nuanced and complicated.
Danae Deligeorges, a Greek psychopedagogist and educator of gifted persons, helps us get closer to their exceptional world and understand their special needs.
We find out that giftedness is not such a rare phenomenon as 3 out of 20 children have perception abilities above average. On the other hand it is not uncommon to confuse a well trained, hard working child with a gifted one.
Danae doesn’t hesitate to point out some difficult truths. It is little known but gifted children are frequently misunderstood because of their extreme behaviours and therefore they are often ‘treated’ for disorders based on misdiagnosis.
The very first step in this challenging situation is the identification of the gifted child and then the evaluation of the most suitable approach. Theatrical improvisation is an excellent tool that helps them to express their inner feelings and to connect with others.