Acceleration and Off Ramps

Part 8 of Davidson Gifted Perspectives, a video series that examines a number of different gifted-related issues and viewpoints.

Some parents have heard stories about people who were accelerated and went on to regret rushing through their childhoods or missing out on their teen years. Maybe you yourself skipped a grade and have some of those feelings and you are now trying to think through an accelerated path for one of your children. At the same time, there’s a good body of research that shows that acceleration (in any of its many forms) often benefits gifted children academically, socially, and emotionally.  

As a parent, it can be frustrating or confusing to make educational decisions for your child when anecdotal evidence and the findings from research don’t match up. With factors that are less predictable, like social changes and puberty, how do you know if acceleration is going to be the right choice? While no parenting is easy, parenting a profoundly gifted teen is not for the faint of heart!  

It’s normal to be of two minds in this situation: knowing how things turned out for you in a similar situation. At the same time, listening to your young scholar and helping them to make informed choices for their own life. In this excerpt from our Parent Consulting Circle, a virtual Q&A event with parents, our Family Services team member offers her thoughts about this sometimes difficult to tackle topic.

Register for our next Young Scholars Application Q&A Event >