Dr. Deborah Ruf about the Five Levels of Gifted

Dr. Ruf shares her insights on the Five Levels of Gifted - research that has taken her decades to complete. She explains what the difference is between a moderately gifted and a profoundly gifted person.

Interview by Femke Hovinga, Talentissimo

[doofy]

It is easier to act stupid than to interact with stupid people.

[ggaines]

In Alabama the kids that were qualified as gifted, went to a “ gifted class” once a week. Then, they were made to make up all the work they missed from regular class the night of the gifted class bc “they should be smart enough to do the double work.” Many kids drop out of gifted bc of the double work.

[smeargut]

I don’t know why but when I’m around certain people I pretend to be less intelligent than I am to accomodate to the person I am talking to.

[narcismebelgie]

I felt so unhappy at school. I left school at 13. My whole life I studied by myself.
At 57 I have my own practice and I am a trauma coach.
Every day I study.
I have a tremendous growth mindset.
From the morning I wake up, I study.

[christianmate]

I feel like given what was said, more parents should treat their children in accordance with the standards of higher intellect. this would allow unique intelligence to shine more overall. Especially when she says things like "(Smart kids) want to be appreciated for who they are, not their grades". I think children., by and large, want to be appreciated for their sense of self, not just for their grades etc. but when they are put into a homogeneous education system, as parents often do, you just end up with a bunch of children who are different versions of the same outcome.

[MountainMaid]

What's with the toxicity in the comment section? And the unnecessary flexing? I come hear to learn to ease my situation, but the comment section ends up either strangely hilarious or toxic. Be better, people.

[izukumidoria]

Hii! I see myself a lot in the characteristics of a gifted person, except for that I am not particularly intelligent.

I'm in high school right now and I have symptoms of ADHD depression, bipolar disorder, hypersensitivity and anxiety. It took me a lot of courage, but I eventually talked with my mom about it. Even though she is always the one calling me out for being too messy, lazy, disorganized, moody, enthusiastic, impulsive, sensitive, anti-social and depressed she told me there's no way that I have any of these mental disorders.

Well, to get to the point, I believe my brain is indeed wired differently and as I've never been diagnosed with anything it's, firstly hard for me to find a way around the negative aspects that come with it and secondly, understand and be able to get the most of my "disfunctional" or rather differently working brain.

I'm on the way of bettering myself and doing quite a lot of research, but I still feel very alone in my situation and needs (also because I don't even know what I need...). So if anyone reading this has some advise or similar story I'd really appreciate if you could share it with me.

Thank you 😊

[myzensianquaternasius]

the only thing keeping me alive is music

[spanishstarstpr]

Looking forward to your updated book. Your first book was so helpful and was a catalyst in getting our third gifted child assessed and then changing his educational path to self contained gifted school.

[Ninsidhe]

Profoundly gifted in Australia (my IQ tested at 7, 186, in 1970 because they thought I was ‘defective’) meant a life of total grimness because being a) female and b) the offspring of a single mother who was a violent borderline, my mind was bound like a mummy. I won scholarships I couldn’t take up; school and being around non gifted individuals was agony.

Four of my offspring were/are HEP, two of them are adults now, my 14 year old teaches himself everything and we wish that we lived in Europe because living as a PG in Australia absolutely sucks- being HEPG in Australia if you’re not into STEM sucks. Here in Australia giftedness isn’t seen as an aspect of psychology so once you’re out of the school system any and all support ceases; given that my youngest never set foot in a school it’s meant we never had the support.

For the extra cherry on top we’re almost entirely an Autistic family also, huzzah! I’m 58 now and being PG made me an alien in a world I simply cannot be bothered trying to navigate anymore, so I live in the forest.

[MrOoglebog]

How should one go about moving forward if they think they're a certain level of gifted, but it wasn't necessarily honed when they were a child? (Moving schools a lot, single family household, poor, siblings with their own issues that required parental attention, etc). In my case, I'm now a young adult, and I feel really stuck. I don't even enjoy talking to most people anymore. I'm not a nihilist, but sometimes life feels nihilistic. By the way, I don't think I'm one of the profoundly gifted, but I think I'm up there somewhere on the spectrum. I've been thinking of emailing my past 4th grade teacher. I remember that she had noticed years ago when I was a kid that I was special back then. Maybe she could help guide me to a resource or something.

[talmania]

My parents knew I'm smart, but couldn't guess my IQ, especially in my time when childhood was naive and we didn't even know there's an IQ test.
I didn't get any special help or education, studied normally with everyone else, no gifted classes, yet i got high grades in every profession and class, without too much of an effort, and with an excellent photographic memory, which most other kids had to work hard and do loads of homework and private tutoring, and nearly get to my scores, so i think the biggest difference is that the higher IQ you have, the easier it is to walk through the system's old dated teaching system, but it won't necessarily secure a good job or a financial future, because this isn't a just and wise world we live in, but an average one. I'm 47 years old, Jewish, 147 IQ.

[JohnSmith-ypyk]

I have yet to meet a parent that describes their child as just average

[joesmitty]

I got a whole bunch of gifts for Christmas

[therealmellyb]

I wanna know if you didn’t have this how do you heal from that

[robertburatt]

Deborah:
Read "Summerhill School" by A.S. Neill.

[aeviwishbone]

The title of this video doesn’t match the content particularly well which is kinda an arrestable offence in youtube land !

[gehpqwj]

I was tested wtih 143 IQ as a child. I can see what you mean by needing to be loved for who you are. Even as an adult, some people will outright hate me just because I have high IQ. I've never done anything to harm them. Many people will just outright hate you if they learn you are intelligent.

I didn't ask to be this way. If I can find a way through life that works for me and the people around me then that's great. But for some reason many despise my mere existence. It's pretty awful. I'm a person like anybody else.

[shelbyhosey]

Tape up your camera that faces you for safer driving

[nicholaslanigan]

I feel I really need to speak with you, is that possible?