Parents' Perspectives on Participation Among Gifted and Typically Developing Children: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Educational Psychology
• Inclusion Studies

Background:

• Understanding daily participation differences between gifted and typically developing children is limited.
• Gifted children may have unique needs requiring specific support.
• Comparative studies are essential for informed interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare daily participation patterns of gifted and typically developing children across home, school, and community settings.
• To explore parents' perspectives on their children's participation.
• To identify developmental characteristics predicting participation in both groups.

Main Methods:

• A comparative exploratory study involving 215 children (8-18 years).
• Parents completed the Five-to-Fifteen-revised questionnaire and the Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation.
• Participants included a gifted group (n=136) and a matched typically developing group (n=79).

Main Results:

• No significant differences in daily participation were found between gifted and typically developing children.
• Significant correlations between participation domains were observed within each group.
• Social and memory skills predicted 24% of gifted children's participation; social and mental skills predicted 65% for typically developing children.

Conclusions:

• Gifted and typically developing children exhibit similar daily participation levels.
• Social skills are a critical factor influencing daily participation for all children studied.
• Further research into developmental predictors of participation is warranted.