Lessons from Aslan:
A Deeper Truth

 

Do you remember C. S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? It’s a favorite of gifted children. Believe it or not, I never read this enchanting book until the end of January, when my grandson, Connor, asked me to read it to him on the plane on the way to my mother’s 90^th birthday party. Books usually come into my hands when I need them most. I have since read the book twice. I was drawn to the entire set of The Chronicles of Narnia, borrowed them from Connor, and am now reading them aloud to my husband. 

Lesson 1:

We are never “too old” to be read to!

Aslan is the lion in the series. He is very wise. He talks about the "Deep Magic" from "before Time dawned." I don’t want to give away the story, just in case you haven’t read it, but Aslan willingly surrenders to treacherous forces in order to save others—making no attempt to defend himself. He completely trusts the deeper Truth that has existed since before the dawning of time. And his trust is justified. 

Lesson 2:

No matter how grim things may appear,
there is a deeper significance to the events of
our lives—a greater Truth being served.

I’m a fighter. I’ve fought for the rights of gifted children for over 4 decades. Leta Hollingworth, (my matron saint), championed their rights in her lifetime, and others will carry on the crusade after me. I wish it didn’t have to be an ongoing battle. But some people don’t believe in giftedness. Any time someone says, "All children are gifted," the reality of giftedness is dismissed. Then there are those who acknowledge that gifted children exist, but insist that they should have no special accommodations, because it wouldn’t be fair to everyone else. I think it was Thomas Jefferson who said, "There is nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of unequals."

 

And then there is the question of IQ tests. Some are vehemently opposed to IQ testing, which is the only way of finding hidden gifted children—particularly gifted girls. And some who see the value of testing think it’s "enough" to know that a child is gifted. They see no need to measure just how gifted. They believe that children could not possibly be as bright as the children we are finding. "What’s the difference between an IQ of 130 and an IQ of 230?" I wonder if these people feel the same way about scores at the other end of the spectrum. Is it "enough" to know that a child is developmentally delayed? Is there no difference between the provisions needed for a child with an IQ score of 70 and a child with an IQ score of 20?

Some people are prejudiced against parents of gifted children, claiming that they all exaggerate their children’s abilities, and that they are invested in parading their children’s IQ scores. Instead of celebrating, many of the parents we’ve worked with over the years burst into tears when they heard their children’s IQ scores. One father tried to deduct 24 points from his son’s IQ score, suggesting hopefully, "Isn’t there a 24-point standard error of measurement?" (There isn’t!)

What causes such misperceptions of parents of the gifted? If school personnel are convinced that a gifted child does not have special needs, or that the program they offer is sufficient, they would have a vested interest in perceiving the parent as exaggerating the abilities of the child. And if a parent is systematically dismissed, he or she is likely to discuss the child’s IQ score in a louder and louder voice, begging to be taken seriously. When assessment and services for the gifted are offered as readily as services for other children with special needs, and parents of gifted children are afforded the same respect as parents of any other exceptionality, I believe this misperception will disappear.

Some people believe that the most important lesson gifted children must learn is how to fit in and be like everyone else. They do not understand the necessity of adapting the system to fit the needs of the child. Nor do they believe in asking children what they need or listening to them. Gifted children have sensitive spirits that can be crushed in such an environment. It is essential for their emotional and spiritual development that their inner wisdom be respected, rather than dismissed.

As long as all of these oppressive beliefs exist, the struggle to increase awareness will continue.

Recently, when I was called upon to deal with this overwhelming lack of consciousness about the gifted once again, I had a strong desire to fight back. I wanted to protect all the parents of gifted children whose motives were questioned. I wanted to protect the children. I wanted to protect all the advocates of gifted children. But I was advised to wait and be silent. This was very hard to do.

Lesson 3:

  There are times to fight, and times
to surrender. Aslan helped me to wait,
helped me to have faith in a deeper Truth.

 

I believe in parents of gifted children. They come to us with the sincere hope of understanding their children better. "How can my child sit totally absorbed in a college physics course and yet be unable to concentrate for 10 minutes on his fifth grade homework?" They usually give us as much information as they can so that we can help them. Many of these parents have suffered their whole lives from being too honest, and some have had to leave high-paying bureaucratic positions because they could not live with the lack of integrity in the organizations. Less than a handful of the parents I have met presented an exaggerated picture of their children’s aptitudes. The vast majority of parents underestimated their children’s abilities. Should a few misguided ones make us distrust 4,000 others? Absolutely not! I will continue to trust the parents of gifted children. 

Lesson 4:

To trust is to love, and love is always warranted. 

It is harder for me to feel as warm-hearted toward the press as I once felt. I have been interviewed over 100 times in the media, and most have been positive experiences. I now know that distortions, misquotes, and hidden agendas are all potential dangers when dealing with the press. I will advise parents to be cautious, to recognize that the purpose of reporting is to sell a juicy story—not necessarily to tell the truth. 

Lesson 5:

We must learn to trust our own inner wisdom about who is and who is not trustworthy. On occasion, we may still be deceived, but it is better to take those times in stride than to lose faith in humanity.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you who sent energy, testimonials, cards, emails. Your support kept me going. You helped me remember who I was, what the Gifted Development Center stands for, and why we continue to serve you and your children in the best way we know how. I am grateful to you all. 

Lesson 6 (from Leta):

We are never alone.
There are always people who care.

I have been continually inspired by the words of Leta Hollingworth. In one of her last articles, she wrote:

"We know that we can select in childhood those endowed with at least one indispensable quality of leadership, i.e., extraordinary intelligence... We know that the endowment of intellect is a permanent one... We know that the range of intellect among school children is simply enormous, and that this will still be the case when these children become adults.

All of this knowledge has been gleaned since 1900, and it is a goodly amount. It is enough to modify education...radically, if it becomes generally disseminated and accepted. These facts would be epoch-making, if applied to the limit of their power to apply. For a long time people will not believe them, will be afraid of them, will not know what to do about them, but in the end the truth will be admitted and utilized, as everything is finally utilized that has power to bring order to human life."

From "What We Know about the Early Selection
 and Training of Leaders," Leta Stetter Hollingworth, 1939.

Every time I read this passage—written over 60 years ago—I take heart. Yes, the world does not believe that gifted children exist or that they really are as bright or as wise as they are. Yes, society is afraid of these children. Yes, the educational system has no idea what do with them. But it will not always be so. Each one of us who cares about gifted children, each one of us who strives to help the world understand them, brings us closer to the time when that deeper Truth will be served. 

Lesson 7 (from Leta):

 “In the end the truth will be admitted
 and utilized, as everything is finally utilized
that has power to bring order to human life."

 

I am deeply honored to be able to do the work I do in the world, to be able to work with such an extraordinary group of professionals, and to serve such a wonderful community of gifted families. I believe that these children, with their sensitivity and depth of perception, come as our teachers. They are the bearers of the deeper Truth. We stand in awe of their wisdom. They need us as their guides and protectors. Together, we will make this world a more loving place where gifted children can be treasured for their uniqueness and allowed to develop in accordance with their own true natures.

 

All pictures were taken from http://home8.swipnet.se/~w-81573/Narnia.htm site on the Internet not providing any required copyright notice.

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