A framework for understanding the social and emotional development of gifted and talented adolescents

Does the process of adolescence produce different reactions and repercussions among gifted and talented adolescents than their normal peers? Identifying the origins of social and emotional concerns among these unique adolescents is the first step in designing an effective counseling program. This article probes patterns of adolescent development believed to exist among both normal and gifted students, and previews issues rising from current clinical and research investigations that need to become the basis for understanding and guiding both the educational and psychosocial growth of highly talented adolescents.