Presentation on properties of intelligence, giftedness, and intellectual disabilities

1. Intelligence
A guide by Anne Hobbs, Tara Polich,
Jason Arca, and Martha Rivera
Alliant International University
PPS6009 - Life Span Development

2. Intelligence 101
● What is it? Intelligence is the ability to solve
problems and to adapt and learn from
experiences (Santrock, 2016)
● How do we measure intelligence? We can measure
intelligence by using intelligence tests
● What are the theories of intelligence? Sternberg’s
Triarchic Theory and Gardner’s Theory of
Multiple Intelligences
● What are the extremes of intelligence? Intellectual
disability and giftedness

3. Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
Intelligence comes in three forms: analytical intelligence, creative
intelligence, and practical intelligence
● Analytical intelligence is the ability to analyze, judge, evaluate, compare,
and contrast
● Creative intelligence is the ability to create, design, invent, originate, and
imagine
● Practical intelligence is the ability to use, apply, implement, and put ideas
into practice
● Children with different triarchic patterns appear different in school
● Students with high analytical intelligence often do well in conventional
schooling and are typically seen as “smart”
● Students with high creative intelligence usually are not in the top of their
class because they give creative answers, rather than conformist answers
● Students high in practical intelligence often do not do as well in school as
those with analytical intelligence. Many of them have excellent social skills
and good common sense

4. Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences
Developmental psychologist Howard Gardner believes that there
are many types of intelligence that are overlooked. He suggests
that there are eight different types of intelligence (Santrock,
2016):
● Verbal: The ability to think in words and use language to
express meaning
● Mathematical: The ability to carry out mathematical
operations
● Spatial: The ability to think three-dimensionally
● Bodily-kinesthetic: The ability to manipulate objects and be
physically competent
● Musical: Sensitivity to pitch, rhythm, tone, and melody
● Interpersonal: The ability to understand and adequately
interact with others
● Intrapersonal: The ability to understand oneself
● Naturalist: The ability to observe patterns in nature and
understand natural and human-made systems
He explains how everyone has all of these intelligences, but to
varying degrees. This is why we all learn and process
information in different ways.

5. What is Giftedness?
A person who is considered gifted has above average intelligence, usually an IQ of 130
or higher, and / or is exceedingly talented in some other field. Those gifted in domain
specific academics are the students that are more represented to be in gifted classes.
School systems “tend to overlook children who are talented in the arts or athletics or
have other special aptitudes, including their passion and sense of destiny (Olszewski-
Kubilius & Thomson, 2013; Sternberg, 2014b; Sternberg & Bridges, 2014).
Characteristics of a Gifted Children
● Precocity – A child will begin to master with
ease their specific ability
● Marching to their own drummer – The gifted
child learns differently than others. They
usually will learn their own way, make
discoveries on their own, and with minimal
help.
● A passion to master – the gifted child will be
self motivated to understand their ability and
will push themselves to intensely focus on
this ability
Underrepresented Gifted students
● “Black students are three times more likely to gain entrance to gifted
programs when taught by a black teacher”, according a January study
published in AERA Open.
● Racial gap in those admitted to gifted programs partly due to teacher
referral, but with universal screening this gap could decrease.
● Morris School Elementary, a culturally diverse school with primarily latino
and African American students, began implementing enrichment clusters.
● These unique learning experiences gave many of these students the
opportunity to access alternative gifted curricula.
● Students were able to master their own individual talents and skills that in
a regular school system they would have lacked this opportunity

6. Intellectual Disability
Characteristics
● Significant limitations in intellectual capacity
○ learning, reasoning, problem solving, etc.
○ low IQ (<70)
● Significant limitations in adaptive behavior
○ conceptual skills: language/literacy, number
concepts (e.g., money, time)
○ social skills: interpersonal skills, self-esteem,
obeying rules/laws, sensibility
○ practical skills: personal care, occupational skills,
safety, daily living skills (e.g., using a phone, using
money)
● Traits appear during development before 18 years
Classifying degree of disability
● by IQ: mild (55-70), moderate (40-54), severe (25-39),
profound (<25)
● by level of support needed: intermittent, limited,
extensive, pervasive
Top right. Saxon (2014). Boy with Fragile X syndrome. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fragx-1.jpg
Bottom right: Pasco County Schools (2017). Special Olympics Pasco East. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/pascoschools/33023439611

7. References
● American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
(n.d.). Definition of Intellectual Disability. Retrieved from
http://aaidd.org/intellectual-disability/definition
● Santrock, J.W. (2016). A Topical Approach to Life-span Development
(8th ed). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.