ABSTRACT
Developing resiliency skills is an important aspect of social-emotional development and learning. The components of resiliency- mastery, connections, and emotional balance, can be difficult for some children to develop. This is particularly true for gifted children. Issues involving perfectionism, rigid thinking, and underdeveloped relationship skills can weaken the development of resiliency in gifted children and inhibit risk-taking, all of which can result in underperformance. A key component to developing resiliency is adaptability or flexible thinking. Understanding that things seldom go exactly as planned is the first step in developing adaptation skills. Being able to identify multiple ways to accomplish a task or achieve goals is another way to develop flexible thinking skills. Gratitude improves negative self-talk by shifting the focus from defeatist victimization to positive abundance. One of the basic factors of resiliency is the development of strong, healthy relationships. Friendship can meet this need and help individuals to develop both resiliency and social skills.
