Type IV: The
Dropouts
Type IV gifted students are angry. They are
angry with adults and with themselves because the system has not met their
needs for many years and they feel rejected. They may express this anger
by acting depressed and withdrawn or by acting out and responding defensively.
Frequently, Type IV's have interests that lie outside the realm of the
regular school curriculum and they fail to receive support and affirmation
for their talent and interest in these unusual areas. School seems irrelevant
and perhaps hostile to them. For the most part, Type IV's are high school
students, although occasionally there may be an elementary student who
attends school sporadically or only on certain days and has in essence
"dropped out" emotionally and mentally if not physically.
Type IV students are frequently gifted
children who were identified very late, perhaps not until high school.
They are bitter and resentful as a result of feeling rejected and neglected.
Their self-esteem is very low, and they require a close working relationship
with an adult they can trust. Traditional programming is no longer appropriate
for Type IV's. Family counseling is strongly recommended, and the Type
IV youth should also be given individual counseling. Diagnostic testing
is also necessary to identify possible areas for remediation.