ABSTRACT
Gifted students are not a homogeneous group; some may fit a few or all of the descriptions and challenges described in this chapter, and many others may not. Every day classroom teachers face students whose needs are not being met by the typical middle school curriculum, instruction, or school organizational patterns. Participation in special or advanced classes may fulfill students' needs for like-minded peers and intellectual stimulation, but it may also create social stigmas. The emotional toll of inappropriate attention to the academic and intellectual needs of gifted students during middle school can have lasting effects. Because of adolescents' unique social and emotional needs, all middle schools need to provide both cognitive and affective programming and support services for gifted students. Intervention and support for students needs to be more than a 1-hour pull-out class once a week. In addition, the imbalance and asynchronicity among physical, emotional, social, and intellectual growth contribute to many conflicts gifted adolescents face.
