Physical vulnerabilities
Limited physical development
As gifted students develop, they are often less likely to foster or develop skills in other areas. Academically gifted students can often have underdeveloped social or physical skills. This can affect their ability or desire to perform well in other areas and may also become a source of frustration and discouragement. Gifted children “were found to have a higher academic self-concept but a lower physical self-concept than non-gifted children” (Shechtman & Silektor, 2012, p. 64). According to Barbara Clark (2013), gifted children can often suffer from a Cartesian split. This occurs when there is a “mental separation between the mind and the body” (Clark, 2013, p. 18). Such an asynchronous development can result in neglect in their physical bodies and a shying away of any type of physical activity (Clark, 2013).
Children who are academically gifted are easily frustrated concerning tasks they have not yet mastered. These can include physical activities, such as students would encounter in a normal physical education class. Because they feel they may not be able to perform these tasks to perfection, these students will often times avoid them completely. It is important to foster mind and body activities and encourage a wide range of physical activities for gifted students so as to counteract their avoidance or lack of desire in their own physical development. Parents and educators can encourage these students by having them understand that everyone makes mistakes and that perfection of a skill is only accomplished through practice.
Children who are academically gifted are easily frustrated concerning tasks they have not yet mastered. These can include physical activities, such as students would encounter in a normal physical education class. Because they feel they may not be able to perform these tasks to perfection, these students will often times avoid them completely. It is important to foster mind and body activities and encourage a wide range of physical activities for gifted students so as to counteract their avoidance or lack of desire in their own physical development. Parents and educators can encourage these students by having them understand that everyone makes mistakes and that perfection of a skill is only accomplished through practice.