SPE 534 Guidance & Counseling of Students with Gifts or Talents

Course Description

This course examines the need for guidance and counseling of children with gifts and talents. Motivational and self-concept issues will be analyzed, and career and family counseling for children with gifts and talents will be discussed.

Topics and Objectives

History and Rationale of Counseling of the Gifted

· Summarize the major contributions to the field of counseling of the gifted.

· Analyze the need for counseling of the gifted.

Career Counseling and Development

· Analyze the dynamic nature of career counseling.

· Compare traditional career counseling to career counseling of the gifted.

· Identify the major differences among minority groups in career choices of the gifted.

Self-Concept Issues

· Summarize the implications of the "gifted" label.

· Analyze the self-concept issues of the gifted.

· Evaluate the role of peers for the self-concept of the gifted child.

Motivational Issues

· Summarize the reasons for underachievement.

· Analyze the motivational issues of the gifted.

· Generate strategies for motivating the gifted.

Emotional Giftedness

· Identify the traits of the interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences.

· Analyze the implications of the highly sensitive nature of the gifted on the counseling process.

Family Counseling and Collaboration

· Evaluate the role of the school in counseling families with gifted children.

· Identify the unique challenges faced by families with gifted children.

· Generate strategies for families to facilitate the development of the gifted.