Supporting Gifted Learners’ Asynchronous Development

The Issue

Gifted learners, particularly in early elementary, experience an asynchronous or uneven rate in their development that may impact their education experience. How can educators support gifted students with asynchronous development while meeting their academic needs?

Why It Matters

A key characteristic of giftedness is the ability to perform well above grade level in a particular domain(s) (e.g., cognitive or physical). Though gifted learners perform well above grade level, their individual abilities vary, and they often demonstrate developmental growth patterns that differ from those of their chronological peers (Guilbault et al., 2016).

Asynchronous development is when the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical domains develop on a trajectory with an uneven rate (2016). Though all children may experience varying degrees of asynchrony during their development, gifted learners may require additional support. Educators must ensure that identified gifted and talented students receive age-appropriate support in the school setting.

Things to Consider

General education students typically develop on a trajectory that follows an expected pace of achieving developmental milestones. Trained educators are keenly aware of their students’ typical developmental milestones. During the school day educators provide students with support as learners demonstrate their progression along the developmental trajectory. Though educators may be more cognizant of tuning into striving learners’ development, high-achieving learners’ developmental needs also require support throughout their education journey.

Gifted learners may display behaviors that are asynchronous or “out of sync” with their chronological peers. For instance, advanced cognitive development may outpace other domains or skills such as fine motor or social skills. One group of gifted education experts and researchers included asynchronous development prominently in their definition of 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” (Columbus Group, 1991).

As a result of asynchrony, gifted learners may display age-typical behavior in addition to behaviors that are typical of older or younger children at any one time. For instance,

A 5-year-old reads like a 9-year-old; has verbal skills of a 10-year-old; and demonstrates fine motor skills of a 5-year-old.
A 10-year-old grasps mathematical concepts like a 16-year-old; reads like an 8-year-old; and exhibits gross motor skills of a 10-year-old.
A 14-year-old has cognitive reasoning skills like an 18-year-old; shows fine and gross motor skills of a 14-year-old; and displays social skills of an 11-year-old.

It is critical educators keep mindful that gifted learners are likely experiencing uneven developmental rates, especially in early elementary. Asynchronous development is not as pronounced in middle school and high school. Educators should observe each high-achieving learner through an atypical developmental lens. Viewing through an atypical developmental lens looks beyond what is considered achieving “normal” developmental milestones and focuses on the individual student development. This outlook may require educators to adjust their expectations for gifted learners’ mental and chronological ages (Smutny et al., 2016).

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Gifted students with an Individualized Education Plan or 504 plan (also known as twice-exceptional students) frequently display asynchronous academic development. Twice-exceptional students demonstrate both characteristics of giftedness and learning difficulties; however, twice-exceptional students “do not solely function like a gifted student or as a student with a learning disability. Instead, they display a unique combination of strengths and weaknesses, with the strengths often masking areas of struggle” (Cross et al., 2016).

Recommended Actions You Can Take

1. Be mindful that gifted students are still children even though they may display intellectual maturity that surpasses their chronological peers. Gifted children typically prefer to engage with those who are chronologically older, including adults, because of common interests. Assuming all the developmental domains are accelerating at the same rate will place inappropriate expectations upon the student. Educators should be flexible and patient when a gifted learner displays behavior that is “out of sync” with his or her intellectual development. Therefore, consider viewing individual gifted learners holistically and provide support beyond their cognitive abilities.

2. Differentiate instruction for the student’s academic, social, and emotional levels.

Recognizing the indicators of asynchronous development in a gifted learner enables educators to develop and provide appropriate interventions that foster growth in the whole child. Educators must provide challenging activities aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards at the student’s instructional level. Activities may include flexible grouping based on a common interest to promote social skills development and eliminate boredom. “Teachers who can identify and nurture student interests can significantly enhance engagement and achievement” (Renninger et al., 2016).

3. Use developmentally-appropriate materials that meet the student’s academic needs.

Realistic expectations must be set for where students are across the developmental domains. For instance, text selection for a gifted reader consists of identifying challenging texts that are well above grade level. Additionally, the text must comprise age-appropriate topics and themes. A first grader reading four grades above grade-level may not be emotionally ready to confront themes of death and violence that may appear in advanced texts. For this reason, educators must review all advanced materials during the selection process to ensure the topics explored are developmentally appropriate.

In mathematics, placing a third grader in a calculus course with older students may not be the best choice. The gap in social and emotional experiences among the students may be an overwhelming adjustment for the third grader. Educators may consider instructional techniques that adapt the curriculum and lesson planning such as curriculum compacting or cluster grouping. These techniques enable educators to adjust the curriculum for content the student has already mastered. (Review the Additional Resources section for more information.)

4. Collaborate with your colleagues.

Knowledge of the curriculum, state standards, and asynchronous development in a gifted learner assists with filling in academic and developmental gaps. Educators and staff who have an impact on the learning and development of a gifted learner should work as a team to improve instruction and increase effective classroom practices. Consider collecting pertinent data regarding the student’s learning and development to analyze and meet his or her needs.

Additional Tips

Create individual gifted learner planning teams that meet regularly. Based on the student’s needs, teams may consist of the following: general education teacher, gifted education specialist/coordinator, content area specialists (a gifted learner may excel in one or more subject areas), bilingual teacher, guidance counselor, curriculum supervisor(s), and assistant principal/principal.
Establish a gifted education professional learning community that focuses on meeting the needs of the gifted student population in your school or district.
Collaborate with other staff, such as an instructional coach, who have expertise in gifted student learning and development.

Reflection Questions

What is implemented in your classroom, school, and/or district to determine developmental domains strengths and needs of each student identified as gifted and talented?
How can you design learning environments to holistically support all students identified as gifted and talented?
How does understanding asynchronous development aid student talent development and the gifted identification process?

References

Columbus Group. (1991, July). Unpublished manuscript of the meeting of the Columbus Group, Columbus, OH.

Cross, K., Langley, S., Root, M., & Gelbar, N. (2016). Beyond the mask. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment 35(1-2).

Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308736008_Beyond_the_Mask

Guilbault, K., Kane, M. (2016). Asychronous development. National Association of Gifted Children Parenting for High

Potential Tip Sheet. Retrieved from https://home.lps.org/gifted/files/2019/03/Asynchronous-Development.pdf

Renninger, K.A., & Hidi, S.E., (2016). The power of interest for motivation and engagement. Routledge.

Smutny, J.F., Walker, S.Y., & Honeck, E.I. (2016). Teaching gifted children in today’s preschool and primary classrooms. Free Spirit Publishing.

Additional Resources

Overview of Asynchrony Development

Asynchrony in Gifted Learners (Video)

Meeting the Needs of the Gifted Learner

Identifying Characteristics of Gifted Students at Risk of Exclusion (Video)

Research-Based Instructional Practices (Note that this is not an exhaustive list.)

Attribution

This document was prepared in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Education and the Strengthening Gifted and Talented Education Advisory Committee.

Official Site of The State of New Jersey

New Jersey Student Learning Standards