Serving Gifted Students: A Talent Development Perspective

Counselors have two broad roles in working with students, teachers, and families. They are trained to respond to and support students who are experiencing social-emotional distress, a role that is frequently activated in times of crises, which can be personal, school-related, or community-related. The role of the counselor will differ depending on a student’s level or stage in a talent domain trajectory. In the context of early schooling, the first hurdle to be overcome is that of identification for gifted programming. At this stage, the counselor may be an advocate, a gatekeeper, or both. Schools use a variety of criteria to identify students, including tests of cognitive ability, standardized achievement test scores and other achievement data, teacher nominations, portfolios, and rating scales on variables such as motivation and creativity completed by teachers and parents. The TDMM is a comprehensive model of talent development for youth that identifies both enhancers and delimiters of talent.