But according to Deborah Ruf, Ph.D., Gifted Children Program Coordinator of Mensa and author of the book, Losing Our Minds: Gifted Children Left Behind (Great Potential Press, August 2005), NCLB inevitably does leave students behind. NCLB focuses almost entirely on those who struggle to learn and virtually ignores the special needs of the brightest students.

"Our brightest children spend nearly the entirety of their school years being instructed far below their capacity to learn, with the result that we are losing them and what they could have become," warns Ruf. "Many of these exceptionally bright children are living right now in homes and learning in classrooms where the adults responsible for them often don't know or don't fully understand their potential. Some of them are mistakenly labeled as behavior problems. Others flounder in classrooms designed to meet the needs of children who are far behind them in their learning."

Ruf reveals that all gifted children are not alike, and neither are their learning needs. "There are levels of giftedness," she explains," "and high intelligence is not a binary concept; intelligence exists along a continuum. There is no magic line between gifted and not gifted, nor is there a solid line between the different levels of intelligence." Levels of giftedness range from those who are simply bright to those who are intellectually astonishing.

She also points out that there are far more potential geniuses – children who are remarkably intellectually different from their same-age classmates – than most people believe. The intelligence of these children, according to Ruf, isn't purely a blessing. "The charming, the problematic, and the quirky are all part of the normal range of behaviors among gifted children," Ruf admits. "It is a problem to be radically different in any way from most of the people around you, and when you are there, you may feel very alone."

"Intellectual level is a significant aspect of our personality, our drives, our interests, and the ways we interpret, cope with, and react to circumstances in our lives. When a child's intellectual level is radically different from others, that child –and his or her parents -- need help learning how to handle that difference," Ruf concludes.

Ruf is the mother of three highly intelligent children, all of whom are grown and thriving. Her efforts to advocate for her own children led her to graduate school and the study of high intelligence. For the past 24 years, she has specialized as a consultant working with families of highly intelligent children.

Losing Our Minds: Gifted Children Left Behind
By Deborah Ruf, Ph.D.
Great Potential Press
August 2005
ISBN: 0-910707-70-7

BookFlash Media Room

http://bookflash.com/media_kit/great_potential/losing_our_minds/

For more information, contact:

Stacey J. Miller
SJ Miller Communications
781/986-0732
sjmiller@bookpr.com
http://www.bookflash.com/media_room/great_potential/losing_our_minds/index.cfm