Research Is Necessary
Research is necessary to understand giftedness on a physiological and psychological level so that the needs of the gifted population can be openly and comfortably discussed. Gifted is NOT “better than” it is simply “different than.”
In an era where society rushes to “fix” every response and behavior that does not fall within a range of “normal” we are doing a grave disservice to all populations outside the norm. The neurodiversity movement serves to provide insight and understanding into outlier populations. Though much study has been devoted to understanding both the physiological and psychological impact of individuals possessing developmental delays, far less research has been done on the physiological and psychological impact of giftedness. GRO’s mission of promoting a comprehensive and accurate understanding of giftedness provides insight as to what is “normal” for the outlier population known as gifted.
GRO’s Unique Approach
While studies on human intelligence exist, GRO’s approach is unique in its integrative nature. GRO is committed to studying giftedness from a multidisciplinary perspective to better understand physiological differences in gifted individuals and how these differences impact their lives, physically, emotionally and behaviorally.
Our Research Past, Present and Future
GRO’s first step was to perform a literature review to explore existing primary research related to the physiological differences found in gifted individuals. This literature review helped to clearly frame the questions for it’s future research. GRO is currently thrilled to be finalizing a proposal for it’s first original research project which it will be announcing shortly.
“As founder and Executive Director of a nonprofit reaching hundreds of thousands of families around the world who are parenting and educating gifted and twice exceptional children, I am thrilled with the appearance of GRO on the scene. I’ve been privileged to watch GRO blossom from an idea to reality and I cannot wait to see the results of their research projects come rolling in. There are many, many families and professionals who are desperate for data that has been largely available only anecdotally, but anecdotal data isn’t reliable nor is it taken seriously. The resulting lack of real support is a major obstacle in identifying and meeting the needs of this population. The work GRO intends is badly needed and I can’t think of a better group of people to take this on.”