NotitiesGiftedness in Practice
Rianne van der Ven
In The Netherlands, there has historically been a lack of educational programs for gifted children, leading to many adults rediscovering their giftedness later in life. The Delphi Model of Giftedness defines gifted individuals as quick thinkers with emotional depth, often feeling disconnected from their environment due to their unique characteristics. Giftedness encompasses high intelligence, creativity, and a range of passions that defy conventional categorization.
Before 2000, no educational programs were available for gifted children in The Netherlands. Even today, no certainty exists that gifted children will be identified as such at an early age or provided with the specialized educational support they require. However, there is a growing interest in gifted children in the Netherlands, and because of this new attention, many adults are beginning to recognize their own giftedness. The gifted adults in my practice have a strong developmental potential that often has not been identified in their childhood. When they discover their giftedness late( r) in life, they often require help adjusting and integrating this in their self-image. Even in countries where gifted education programs have existed for a long time, not every gifted child is identified. Consequently, in these countries, my experience in working with adult giftedness identification can also be of great use to professionals who guide, coach, counsel, or treat gifted adults. (Page 10)
In the Netherlands, a clear outline has been formulated that appeals to me greatly. It reads: “A gifted person is a quick and clever thinker, able to deal with complex matters. Autonomous, curious and passionate. A sensitive and emotionally rich individual, with great imagery, living intensely. He or she enjoys being creative.” 1 (Page 14)
The Delphi Model of Giftedness that accompanies this outline visualizes giftedness as follows: According to the Delphi Model of Giftedness, the characteristics of giftedness are: The inner world of the gifted individual: The gifted individual in relation to society: Intense, complex, quick, and creative are the characteristic features of the interaction between a gifted person and their environment. I also refer to these as the dimensions of which a gifted person must be extra aware because these are the areas in which they can become disconnected from their environment. (Page 14)
1.2. How I see giftedness I often say: “Line up three hundred gifted people, and you’ll have three hundred different individuals. What binds them together is best described in the Delphi Model.” I see giftedness as a combination of different elements. It is not just about high intelligence but about the overall picture. Their high intelligence enables quick and complex thinking but also intense feeling. Gifted people understand many nuances that escape those who are not gifted. Gifted people grasp situations more quickly and seek to understand them. Gifted people are creative, often have several passions, and therefore do not fit into the ready-made categories that people define for each other. Because of these differences, gifted people are at risk of feeling disconnected from their environment. (Page 17)