Case Stdy - David: A Child with Exceptional Intelligence Abilities - Research Paper Example

Culturally, observation and self-reporting identified the mother as authoritarian while David’s father maintained a more passive and allowing approach to behavior control. David’s linguistic competency was no more advanced than what would be expected for a youth in his current stage of development, utilizing grammar and syntax commonly found in non-gifted youths of his age bracket. Educational Experiences David attends a public school environment in the advanced placement program, however he has had historical difficulty in adjusting to the social principles that drive elementary-aged childhood norms.

Behavioral problems occurring in the classroom are routine, however the child’s socio-economic background does not allow for provision in specialized school structure for gifted youths, thus he grows frustrated with the pace of the teaching curriculum. His inability to network socially with his peer group creates considerable anxiety and fear in David and he is extensively sensitive in terms of his own self-concept when measured against his perception of peer judgment. Despite his mother’s authoritarian posture, behavior modification at home and in the classroom are difficult to control and modify. . The Child’s Cognitive Functioning David is emotionally sensitive and anxious in most situations and expresses emotional responses to certain stimuli atypical from that of masculine behavior.

David fits all of the parameters of the concrete operational stage of cognitive development, with excellent, measurable classification skills and early onset of abstract conceptual thinking as has been measured by testing instruments in the school. However, David still expresses fundamentally undeveloped egocentric behaviors regarding his intellectualism commonly found in much younger youths during their pre-operational stage of development. David follows the temptation-resistance paradigm, common with many gifted children where lying as a matter of principle becomes the norm (Walker & Shore, 2011).

David is exceptional at maintaining his false beliefs even when confronted about known lying activities and is delivered proof of his falsehood. However, his egocentric attitude frustrates the process of ending this maladjusted behavior. David’s school counselor actually labeled him narcissistic, though this caused considerable parental conflict between administration and the educator. A person who is especially gifted tends to have fragile self-esteem, something apparent in David, and will crave attention from others and exhibit disruptive behaviors when confronted (McDonald, 2005).

David’s early onset of abstract methodology in cognitive function surpassed his emotional maturity levels (i.e. egocentrism) and therefore there is a significant gap between emotional stability and intellectual prowess. A recent study involving educational