What Helios Means by "Gifted"

The word “gifted” is used in many different ways in the educational world. Here at Helios, we don’t use “gifted” as a label of exclusivity, nor is it simply a high IQ, talent, or achievement. Rather, we are guided by The Columbus Group’s definition:

Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm.  

The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting, teaching, and counseling in order for them to develop optimally.

The Columbus Group

This definition of giftedness, set forth by a group of theorists and practitioners in gifted education and advocacy in Columbus, Ohio in 1991, focuses on the gifted individual’s inner life experiences. This allows us and parents to see children as whole, wonderful humans, rather than focusing on external measures of achievement and performance. The children at Helios have the capacity to succeed; we want them to delight in the learning that happens along the way.