WHO IS THE GIFTED
UNDERACHIEVER?
COLLEGE
OF
ADAPTED FROM: PROFESSOR KAREN B. ROGERS
APPLI ED PROFESSI ONAL STUDI ES UNI VERSITY OF
MINNEAPOLI S, MINNESOTA
ST.
THOMAS
STEPHANIE
• Stephanie is a 5th grade student whose evaluation comments read
like a list of missed opportunities. “Stephanie is bright, but seems
insecure about her ability to do well; her perfectionism prevents her
from pursuing new topics or projects.” In class, Stephanie seldom
causes trouble; in fact, you hardly know she’s there. She pursues work
with caution, and when her teacher hands her an assignment, she
immediately thinks it is too hard for her to do. Often she is her own
worst enemy. When she does well on a project, she attributes it to
“being lucky” and when she does not do well, she internalizes her
failure and calls herself “dumb”. She would like to do better in school
but claims she cannot. She insists she is not as smart as everyone says
and she can prove it by showing you all her low marks and poor
papers. To the casual observer, she is a nice, quiet girl who just lacks
self-confidence. To the careful observer, she is a sad girl who seems
to have little hope of ever being anything more than she is right now:
self-critical, deprecating, and unable to chart her own social or
academic course.
MARK
• Mark is a student most teachers hear about before they ever meet
him. His reputation precedes him because he is the source of
constant staffroom banter: “You’ve got to approach him just so, or
else he will walk all over you; he’s a smart kid, and he knows it --that’s
his biggest problem.” On some days he is the most animated
discussant in a review of current world events. On other days, he just
sits there, completing seatwork when he feels like it and turning in
homework when the mood strikes him. Mark dislikes “busy work” and
the teachers who assign it. He succeeds on projects that peak his
interest, often concentrating solely on them to the exclusion of other
tasks. This makes it difficult for teachers to assign grades. They know
Mark understands the concepts taught but if he refuses to turn in all
the required work, how can they possibly reward him with high
grades? Getting good grades is not one of his personal goals. He is
into learning but often does not see school as the place where that
can occur. To the casual observer, Mark rebels for the sake of
rebelling. To the careful observer, he knows what he knows and
doesn’t want to keep proving it.
FOUR MAJOR RESEARCHERS ON
UNDERACHIEVEMENT
• Sylvia Rimm, The Underachievement Syndrome:
Causes and Cures
• Barbara Clark, Growing Up Gifted
• Diane Heacox, Up From Underachievement
• James Delisle, When Gifted Kids Don’t Have All the
Answers
RIMM’S UNDERACHIEVEMENT
“SYNDROME”
• Identified 13 different forms of underachievement
represented as fictional characters.Their
underachievement has been “shaped” by their
home, school climate, unrewarding curriculum, and
personal flaws: Manipulative Mary, Taunted
Terrence, Depressed Donna, Passive Paul, Jock
Jack, Academic Alice, Torn Tommy, Rebellious
Rebecca, Dramatic Dick, Hyperactive Harry,
Perfectionist Pearl, Adopted Annie, and Creative
Chris
RIMM’S SYNDROME (2)
• All underachievers, whether dependent or
dominant in their behavior exhibit:
•
•
•
•
•
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Forgetfulness
Disorganization
Carelessness and superficiality on tasks
Non-academic interests
Manipulation of relations with parents and teachers
Loneliness and social withdrawal
RIMM’S SYNDROME (3)
• Home origins of underachievement:
•
•
•
•
•
The over welcome child
Early illness
Birth order (later, not first)
Marital discord
Conflicting parenting styles
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•
•
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Kind mom/ogre dad
Wonderful dad/ogre mom
Dummy dad
Mousy mom
RIMM’S SYNDROME (4)
 A trifocal approach can “cure” the syndrome
 Child is monitored by home and school so that tasks
are noted and completed, assignments turned in.
System of behavior modification is used to re-shape
the behaviors
 Parent must carry out what school requires child to do,
ensuring schedule, space, and monitoring of child’s
work outside of school. Daily/weekly reports are
provided for the school. Parents are counseled when
discord or conflicts are present
 School develops plan for child and parents to follow,
notes when the plan has been followed and
reinforces achieving behaviors when observed in the
child
CLARK’S UNDERACHIEVEMENT
CHARACTERISTICS
• There are 16 characteristics or behaviors that gifted
underachievers exhibit to at least some degree,
some of which are personal-related and some of
which are school-related. Just knowing these
behaviors are there is the first step to overcoming
the responses (and choices) the underachiever
makes.
CLARK’S CHARACTERISTICS
 Personal
 Low self-concept,
negative selfevaluation
 Social immaturity,
unpopular with
peers
 Choose
companions who
do not like school
 Feelings of
rejection,
helplessness, feeling
victimized
 School
 Lack of discipline in
tasks, high
distractibility
 Don’t see
connection
between effort and
achievement
outcomes
 Few strong hobbies
or interests
 Resistant to
influence from
teachers, parents
CLARK’S CHARACTERISTICS (2)
 Personal
 Hostile toward adult
authority figures
 Low aspirations for
future, career, less
persistent and
assertive
 Externalization of
conflicts, problems
 School
 Withdraw in
classroom situations
 Lack of study skills,
 Weak academic
motivation
 Leave schoolwork
incomplete, nap
during study times
 Perform well on
synthesis tasks but
not on tasks
requiring precise,
analytic processing
HEACOX’S UP FROM
UNDERACHIEVEMENT
• Gifted Achiever
• Pride in own work and
effort
• Resilience when things go
wrong
• Practice risk taking
• Self-disciplined
• Goal-oriented --set out
plan for own work and
follow through
• Gifted Underachiever
• Poor academic selfconcept, poor
organization
• External locus of control
• Perfectionism, so
unlikely to take risks
• Independent --insist on
doing only what they
want to do
• Discrepancy between
oral and written work
HEACOX STRATEGIES
• Single-sided
interests
• Identify “acceptable
minimums for tasks
• Pick up pace of
instruction
• Identify “have to have”
skills and focus on these
• Help child focus on
their single-sided
interests
HEACOX STRATEGIES (2)
• Claims of boredom
• Develop diagnosticprescriptive instruction
• Compact the regular
curriculum
• Use continuous
progress for learning
• Fast paced content
presentations
• Subject acceleration
• Find “cause” of
boredom
HEACOX STRATEGIES (3)
• Perfectionism
• Teach strategies for
when to quit, how to
match effort to tasks,
setting goals, focusing
on successes not
failures, and separating
self-concept from
products
• Role model mistake
making
HEACOX STRATEGIES (4)
• Peer Pressure to
Underachieve
• Selectively encourage
certain friendships
• Take interest in child’s
friends
• Encourage extracurricular activities
• Teach strategies for
resisting peer pressure
HEACOX STRATEGIES (5)
• Lack of
Organizational Skills
• Study habits training
• Strategies for
developing work
plans, priorities,
balance, flexibility
• Provide consistent
space and
schedule for study
at home
HEACOX STRATEGIES (6)
• Stress
• Teach time
management
techniques
• Relaxation exercises
• Exercise routines
• Socialization
opportunities
DELISLE’S DIFFERENCES IN
TYPES OF UNDERACHIEVEMENT
• Non-Producer/
Selective Consumer
• Mentally healthy
• Can explain both
problem and possible
solutions
• Independent and
proactive
• See teachers as
adversaries and are
contentious
• Underachiever
• Psychologically at risk
• Does not understand
causes or cures
• Dependent and reactive
• Respects or fears
authority figures
DELISLE’S DIFFERENCES IN
TYPES OF UNDERACHIEVEMENT (2)
• Non-Producer/
Selective Consumer
• Counseling needs
are minimal
• Requires little
structure, needs
breathing room
• Performance varies
relative to teacher
and content
• Underachiever
• Strong counseling
program needed
• Needs both structure
and imposed limits
• Performance
uniformly weak
DELISLE’S DIFFERENCES IN
TYPES OF UNDERACHIEVEMENT (3)
• Non-Producer/
Selective Consumer
• Can be dealt with within
school resources
• Change may occur
overnight
• Frequently satisfied with
accomplishments
• Sees self as academically
able
• Underachiever
• Requires family
intervention
• Change is long term
• Often perfectionistic,
nothing is ever good
enough
• Poor academic selfesteem
COMMONALITIES BETWEEN TWO
FORMS OF UNDERACHIEVEMENT
• Socialization with classmates may be impaired
• Prefer “family” versus “factory” classroom
atmosphere
• Needs to change both behaviors and attitudes
• May need guidance or counseling to achieve
academic success
DELISLE’S STRATEGIES FOR
IMPROVING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
• Supportive Strategies
• Behaviors that affirm the worth of the child in the classroom
and convey the promise of greater potential and success
yet to be discovered and enjoyed
• Intrinsic Strategies
• Behaviors that are designed to develop intrinsic
achievement motivation through the child’s discovery of
the rewards available as a result of efforts to learn, achieve,
and contribute to the group
• Remedial Strategies
• Behaviors that are used to improve the student’s academic
performance in an area of learning difficulty which led to
experience of failure and loss of motivation to engage in
learning tasks
HIDING GIFTS
• Play dumb” to blend in and make friends with other
children their age.
• Girls are especially vulnerable as they reach
adolescence.
• May feel overwhelmed by their abilities and just
want to be “normal kids.”
• Adults can help by celebrating and encouraging
their abilities.
SUPPORTIVE STRATEGIES
• Non-Producer
• Eliminate work already
mastered
• Allow independent study
on topics of personal
interest
• Nonauthoritarian
atmosphere
• Permit students to prove
competence via multiple
methods
• Teach through problem
solving rather than rote
drill
• Underachiever
• Daily class meetings to
discuss student’s
concerns
• Directive atmosphere to
show who is in charge
• Daily written contracts of
work to be done
• Free time scheduled
each day to show import
of relaxation, free choice
• Use of concrete,
predictable teaching
methods
INTRINSIC STRATEGIES
• Non-Producer
• Student helps determine
class rules
• Assign specific
responsibilities for
classroom maintenance,
management
• Practice reflective
listening, comment to
clarify student statements
• Student sets
daily/weekly/monthly
goals with teacher
approval
• Underachiever
• Daily review of/reward for
small successes
• Allow students to
evaluate work prior to
teacher marking
• Frequent, positive
contact with family about
child’s progress
• Verbal praise for any selfinitiating behaviors
REMEDIAL STRATEGIES
• Non-Producer
• Self-selected weekly
goals for improvement
• Private instruction in areas
of weakness
• Use of humor and
personal example to
approach academic
weakness areas
• Familiarize students with
learning styles and
personal implications for
performance
• Underachiever
• Programmed instruction
materials, students grade
own papers upon
completion
• Peer tutoring of younger
students in areas of
strength
• Small group instruction in
common areas of
weakness
• Encourage students to
work on projects not
involving marks or
external evaluation
FINDING THE RIGHT APPROACH
• When approaching any problem, there are two
general lines of attack: the “shotgun” approach,
where strategies are applied willy-nilly in hopes that
something will hits its target, and the “spotlight”
approach, where a sharp, precise beam is focused
on a specific situation or problem. In issues as
complex as underachievement and selective
consumerism, time and effort spent on locating the
target will result ultimately in more effective and
efficient treatment strategies.
FINDING THE RIGHT APPROACH
• The child who chooses not to perform up to others’
expectations --the selective consumer --reminds us
of the old adage, “You can lead a horse to water,
but you can’t make him drink. With just a little
editorial license, this new proverb describes such a
case: “You can lead a child to knowledge, but you
can’t make him think.
FINDING THE RIGHT APPROACH
• For the truly underachieving child who has little
control over or understanding of his or her
depressed performance, the myth of Narcissus
seems to apply. This character, who upon seeing his
reflection in a pond, pined away for the lovely
creature he saw. He longed for something he
already had, so his was not a problem of
attainment but of realization. And just as Narcissus
was eventually transformed into a beautiful flower,
so might the child with underachieving behaviors
come into full bloom, given the proper mix of
support and nurturance.
(Delisle, 2002,
p. 180)
ASYNCHRONOUS
DEVELOPMENT
OUT – OF – SYNC OR UNEVEN DEVELOPMENT
GIFTEDNESS
“Giftedness is asynchronous development in which
advanced cognitive abilities and heightened
intensity combine to create inner experiences and
awareness that are qualitatively different from the
norm. This asynchrony increases with higher
intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted
renders them particularly vulnerable and requires
modifications in parenting, teaching and counseling
in order for them to develop optimally.” (The
Columbus Group, 1991)
DEFINITIONS
“To have the intelligence of an adult and the
emotions of a child combined in a childish body is to
encounter certain difficulties.” (Hollingworth, 1942)
“In addition to being out of sync in their own
development, gifted children are out of sync: with
family relations, both parents and siblings, socially
with age-peers and older, and with schools and the
larger community.” (Kearney, 1991)
THESE STUDENTS….
• Often function at one level intellectually, another socially
and yet another emotionally.
For example, a gifted five-year-old can be discussing the
problem of world hunger one minute and the next minute
throwing a tantrum because he has to go to bed.
• A gifted child who is years ahead of his or her age mates
is not always years ahead emotionally or socially.
Advanced intellectual ability simply does not enable a
child to manage emotions any better than any other
child.
THESE STUDENTS….
• Have been described as “old souls in young
bodies.”
• May sound like “little adults,” then are criticized
when they act like the children that they are.
A five-year-old who can discuss world hunger like a
ten-year-old is often expected to behave like a tenyear-old. When he acts like a five-year-old instead, a
parent (or teacher) comes to see that behavior as
immature behavior.
TWICE EXCEPTIONAL
• In addition to having asynchrony between their
intellectual and physical development, they have
extreme asynchrony between intellectual
development and the ability to express or use that
intellect.
• An LD student may be able to play a musical
instrument at a high level by ear, but will struggle
with reading individual notes. Difficulties like these,
unfortunately, often lead to the child just giving up
instead of taking the extra time to come up with
strategies which will help the child.
TWICE EXCEPTIONAL
• gifted and mildly dyslexic, it means being bored to
tears in math and science classes because they are
too easy, while struggling to read grade-level
books. It means not being able to read books that
discuss science and other topics at his level of
understanding. It means finding reading class books
challenging, but the classroom discussions
excruciatingly boring.
TWICE EXCEPTIONAL
• gifted and has dysgraphia (extreme difficulties with
writing), being gifted/special needs means having
his hands get cramped and tired after only one
page of writing. It means being unable to write and
think at the same time, so that his written work
doesn't come anywhere near reflecting the depth
of his thoughts. It means he is thinking about math
concepts that his teachers don't understand, but
having trouble writing them down.
TWICE EXCEPTIONAL
• gifted and has ADHD, being gifted/special needs
means getting assignments wrong because he
missed some of the instructions and therefore did
the wrong thing correctly. It means getting into
trouble for not paying attention because he is
incapable of focusing on multi-step oral instructions,
but seems too smart to not understand what he is
supposed to do. It means getting in trouble for
losing control at the end of the day, when he is tired
and his medication has worn off because "you're
too smart to forget the rules".
WHAT CAN TEACHERS AND PARENTS DO ABOUT
ASYNCHRONOUS DEVELOPMENT?
Nothing can be done to change the way children
develop, so asynchronous development can't be
corrected or altered.
However, life in at school and home with an
asynchronous child can be made easier when we
understand that development. Here are some quick
tips:
REMEMBER THEIR AGE
• Recognize that a gifted child's emotional and social
development will not always match his or her
intellectual development. Before responding to
your child's emotional outburst or concluding that
your child is socially or emotionally immature, stop a
moment to remind yourself of your child's
chronological age.
PROVIDE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
• Understand that asynchronous development
creates special needs. For example, gifted children
need emotional support as do all children, but they
also need advanced intellectual stimulation. A
gifted four-year-old who can discuss black holes still
needs comforting hugs.
OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH
INTELLECTUAL PEERS
• Recognize that gifted children may not get their
emotional, social, and intellectual needs met by the
same peers. This means that they may be able to
socialize to a degree with children their own age,
but may also need opportunities to interact with
other gifted children, older children, or even adults.
Parents should make every effort to provide these
opportunities.