Giftedness / High Potential

When determining the shape or degree of giftedness, we discuss together with the interested person the current situation, the reasons about the desire for clarification and previous experiences regarding this subject. On the basis of extensive procedures with appropriate standardized and validated tests as well as the detailed observations by the assessors, we clarify whether and to what extent, and in which areas, a special giftedness is existing.

Based on the analysis of these results and observations, concrete advices and, as far as necessary and desired, a plan for personal development will be compiled. Some people only wish clarity regarding their abilities and talents, in order to undertake steps by them own towards a further development. In other situations, a more intensive support in the form of a coaching resp. a personality development is desired. Often a giftedness is associated with an increased sensitivity (sophistication / complexity and subtlety in perception) or sensibility (intensity of emotional resonance).

The aim of an assessment and clarification on giftedness is, on the one hand, to ascertain resp. to confirm whether, in which form and in which areas, the specific talents lie, and on the other hand to identify the possibilities of their further development and use, and to discuss the implementation of these options. Experience has shown that the satisfaction of a person is higher if he/she knows his/her talents and can also use them, because then both the subjective sense of achievement and the objective benefit (in the workplace or for society) are higher, including motivating reactions of the environment.

The bases for aptitudes and talents are primarly genetically determined, therefore since birth through the genetic endowments from parents and further ancestors. In order for these to develop, a supportive, constructive environment is needed - e. g. basic trust, which is consolidated in the first few weeks and months of life, as well as during childhood and adolescence a benevolent environment (family, school, friends...) that playfully supports the discovery and development of abilities and interests. Self-reliance and maturity, with age and experience, foster the development and use of these talents both in free time and, ideally, in education, training, career choice, occupation and private life. Determination as well as analysis of present talents and potentials brings clarity and opens the door for further, possibly previously unknown, options in life.

Giftedness is usually defined in comparison with the general population, in what ratio resp. in what rarity it occurs. In the example of intellectual giftedness, 2% of the population with the highest intellectual abilities are defined as reference. This means when the general intelligence of the concerned person is higher than in 98% of the general population. As a further common definition, high giftedness occurs when the general intelligence of an individual is higher than in 99.9% of the general population. Intellectual abilities are subdivided into different dimensions: verbal, logical, spatial intelligence, computational thinking, memory skills, etc. It often happens that some abilities or dimensions are strongly represented, and others less. Therefore it is important to evaluate a broad scope of abilities during an intellectual assessment.

Beside of the intellectual abilities, there are obviously talents in many other areas, such as art, sports and characteristics of certain personality traits, like e. g. empathy. Here, too, one speaks of giftedness or high giftedness when they are seldom encountered in their expression. However, the exact determination and mapping is more difficult here as there are less standardized procedures and the evaluation often depends on the judgement by experts - here an assessment or estimation is usually made on the basis of works / products and results, as e. g. with great painters, sculptors, musicians and athletes.