ABSTRACT
Parents may even imagine that the preschooler eventually will save humanity through medical research, implement important social changes in the world, or become a famous musician. Some of the reasons that have been given for underachievement include a dysfunctional family situation, internal pressures, lack of personal skills, undetected learning disabilities, or inappropriate school match. Underachievement may be caused by a personal characteristic such as low self-motivation, low self-regulation (the ability to monitor, evaluate, and react appropriately to one’s performance), or low self-efficacy (belief in one’s own capabilities). Remediation of basic skills historically has been the single focus of efforts to serve students once they are classified as learning disabled. Although it is very important to try to remediate basic skills, focusing on weaknesses at the expense of developing gifts can result in poor self-esteem, a lack of motivation, depression, and stress.
