European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 4, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                School is no piece of cake gifted pupils by Mary Esch the associated press Hen she sent her son to kindergarten Cathy Silva of Ballston spa n.y., expected the Bright Happy child to flourish getting lots of a a making friends and competing in sports. But by the end of first Grade Russell wanted to drop out. By second Grade he was literally sick of school. Quot it was just Boring Quot said Russel now 10. Quot in math they d spend two weeks working on something i d Learned in a  Russell could read 120-Page novels. And do Complex mathematics in his head when he was 7. He could t see Why the teacher insisted he Quot waste time Quot colouring worksheets. He started coming Home with stomachaches. After taking her son for expensive testing and consulting with experts Silva realized Why Russell found school so frustrating. He is among a Small fraction of the population described by experts As Quot highly gifted Quot a defined As having an in Over about 170, or prodigious Talent in such areas As mathematics music or chess. Such children Are Way out of sync developmentally having the m ind of perhaps a 15-year-old at the age of 7, says Linda Silverman director of the gifted child development Center in Denver. She distinguishes the Quot highly gifted Quot from the Quot moderately gifted Quot she defines them As the top 3 per cent to 5 percent of students who Are included in gifted and talented programs. One might expect such children to Shine in school. But experts say the opposite is True. Quot in a regular school curriculum these kids Are never asked to work. They end up crippled in their ability to probe and gain knowledge Quot said Phyllis Aldrich who Heads a Young scholars program in new York s Saratoga and Warren counties. Quot the United states is squandering one of its most precious resources a the gifts talents and High interests of Many of its students Quot claimed a report from the . Department of education last month. The report criticized the current emphasis on remediation and bringing up Low test scores while the needs of High achievers Are ignored. The report galled for a More challenging curriculum for gifted  guest lecturers such As biologist George Steele meet with gifted students in Clifton Park nx., for special instruction in literature and science. Students and a better  identifying them. Silva a full time Mother of three with a Bachelor s degree in psychology said the elementary school refused to make even minor adaptations for Russell like letting him use the third Grade math Book in second Grade or giving him a spelling list with words related to his the problems gifted children have May not be All that different from those of Many other students who Are slightly Square pegs in round holes. A Robert Slavin Johns Hopkins researcher interest in meteorology. So she decided to teach him at Home. She took a graduate course in gifted education attended conferences subscribed to journals and sought assistance from Johns Hopkins University s Center for talented youth in Baltimore. F it s taken an incredible  work Quot she said at her Home in Rural Saratoga county about 20 Miles North of Albany. Silverman said highly gifted children Are so developmentally advanced that their needs cannot be met by the accelerated Reading groups and Quot enrichment Quot supplied by most gifted and talented programs. But gifted programs have been under attack in recent years As schools struggle to trim budgets. They also have been criticized As elitist. The very definition of Quot giftedness Quot has been debated As some seek alternatives to in tests. Quot in the 90s, i feel we re in a zealous anti intellectual period Quot Silverman said. Quot so doing something for kids with intellectual ability seems a . Robert Slavin a Johns Hopkins University researcher said studies show fast learners Benefit from acceleration a skipping grades or taking advanced classes. But be is sceptical of claims that the gifted need customized enrichment programs. Quot there s much less evidence for that Quot he said Quot in an Ideal world every child would have an instructional program uniquely structured to their needs Quot Slavin said. Quot the problems gifted children have May not be All that different from those of Many other students who Are slightly Square pegs in round  Russell returned to Public school this fall. But instead of entering fifth Grade like other 10-year-Olds, he s in seventh Grade with ninth Grade math and German. Silva s Inch thick Binder of evidence of his abilities convinced school officials to accept him into the Middle school. Quot he s had no trouble adjusting socially or academically Quot she said. On the family a what is hyperactivity and what causes it get hyperactivity also called hyper Knesis minimal brain dysfunction impulsive disorder and at least 30 other terms is defined As excessive and uncontrollable movement. It usually involves distract ability restlessness and a Short attention Span. I stress the word uncontrollable because the severely affected child is absolutely incapable of sitting quietly in a chair or stowing Down his level of activity. He is propelled from within by forces that he can neither explain nor ameliorate. One such youngster was a 7-year-old boy named Kurt who was afflicted with Down s syndrome a form of mental retardation that was originally called Mongolis. This Little fellow was frantically Active and literally Quot attacked Quot my furniture when he entered the room. He scrambled Over the top of my desk knocking Over pictures files and paperweights. Then this lad grabbed for the Telephone and held it in the direction of my ear. I Humoured him by faking a conversation with a mythical caller but Kurt had other purposes in mind. He jumped from my desk and scurried into the office of a psychologist next door insisting that my colleague play the same game. As it happened our two phones were on the same Extension and this Little 7-year-old had succeeded in _ outsmarting the two child development  there we were talking to each other on the phone without anything relevant to say. It was a humbling experience. A truly hyperactive child can Humble any adult particularly if the disorder is not understood by his Parent. The condition often appears related to damage to the Central nervous system although it can also be caused by emotional stress and fatigue. Some authorities believe that virtually All children born through the birth canal that is not by caesarean Section Are Likely to sustain damage to the brain tissue during the birth process. The difference Between patients who Are severely afflicted and Are called cerebral palsied and those who have no obvious symptoms May reflect three variables where the damage is located How massive the lesion is and How quickly it occurred. Thus it is possible that some hyperactive children were afflicted very Eaty by an unidentified brain interference that caused no other symptoms or problems. T must emphasize however that this explanation is merely speculative and the medical understanding of this disorder is far from Complete. Or. A j3fe. Dobson it president of focus on the family an organization dedicated to preserving the Home. Correspondence should be sent to him at focus on the family . To 444, Colorado Springs Colo. 60903. James Dobson saturday december 4,1993 the stars and stripes