Giftedness: Is there a Case for Neurodivergence?!

The term “gifted” has historically been criticised for sounding elitist. At the same time, it was never deemed sufficiently descriptive to accommodate the small percentage of gifted children with impulsivity, inattention, emotional regulation issues, disorganisation, social interaction difficulties, inflexibility and sensory issues. Such behaviours are now known to be associated with conditions such as ADHD and ASD, but over time the belief that giftedness came with problems has become entrenched, despite research to the contrary. In historical times, giftedness has been connected with mental ill health, and later with social and emotional problems, before its long association with Dabrowski’s “overexcitabilities”. The latest claim, that giftedness is a neurodivergence, is based on differences in the brain from the norm. In this article, the definition of neurodivergence as both a brain difference and observable frequent nontypical behaviours is used to analyse existing research findings. Based on this analysis, the conclusion is reached that giftedness is not a neurodivergence.