ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on longitudinal, retrospective, and cross-sectional studies to address the relationship between giftedness in childhood and adulthood. It presents some directions for school gifted programs and perspectives for families that might be more consistent with what is known about the evolution of high-level talent. Expressive rewards include the pleasure that students experience within the talent domain. The greater press for admission and identification of giftedness in a wider range of children means that more domains of talent will need to be addressed in the curriculum and more variability will exist within those talent domains. Parents, like educators, view giftedness through either the "special education" or the "talent development" lens. Gifted programs throughout the United States emphasize enrichment of the curriculum with the expectation that presenting great ideas and skills will inspire a drive toward excellence. In an effort to protect self-esteem and promote good citizenship, competition has all but disappeared from the sanctioned academic component of the curriculum.
