This document discusses exceptional children and defines them as those who deviate significantly from normal children physically, intellectually, emotionally, or socially, requiring special education services. Exceptional children are categorized as intellectually exceptional, physically exceptional, emotionally exceptional, socially exceptional, or multi-exceptional. Specifically, gifted children are defined as those who show consistently remarkable performance in any field, exhibiting general intelligence or special abilities of a high order.

2.  Exceptional children are those who deviate
significantly from the normal ones. An
exceptional child deviates from the normal or
average child in that he required mental,
physical and social characteristics to such an
extend that he required service or
modification of school practices or special
education
supplementary instruction in order to develop
his maximum capacity

3.  According to Cruichshank, an exceptional
child is he who derivates physically,
intellectually, emotionally and socially so
markedly from normal growth and
development that he cannot be benefited
from a regular classroom programme and
needs special treatment in school.

4. Characteristics of Exceptional
Children
1. Exceptional children deviate markedly from
the average children.
2. Their deviation from the average children is
so great that they can be easily
distinguished from average children.
3. This deviation may fall in any behavioural or
development dimensions - physical,
intellectual, emotional or social.
4. These children experience peculiar
problems and requires modification of
school practices, special education and
other services in order to maximize their

5. Exceptional Children are of
following Kinds
 Intellectually
Exceptional (mentally
exceptional)
 Physically Exceptional
 (a) The gifted
(b) The backward
(e) The mentally retarded
(d) The creative
(e) The underachiever
(f) The learning disabled
• (a) The deaf and dumb
(b) The blind and near blind
(c) Orthopaedically
handicapped
(d) Children with
speech defects

6.  Emotionally
Exceptional
 Socially
Exceptional
 Multi-exceptional
 Delinquents
 Underprivileged
children
 Children with more
than one defect

7. 1. THE GIFTED CHILD
(The Talented or Superior Child)
 A gifted child is one who shows consistently
remarkable performance
in any worthwhile line of endeavour. Such an
individual exhibits superiority
in general intelligence or possesses special
abilities of a high order.
According to Witty, the term gifted or talented
stands for those whose
performance is consistently remarkable in
some potentially valuable activity.

8.  Some psychologists have defined giftedness
on the basis of intelligence quotient. Terman
set IQ 140, while Goddard set IQ 120 as the
lower limit of giftedness. Persons with an IQ
higher than 140 can be accepted as
exceptionally gifted. But, a gifted child need
not necessarily possess a very high IQ.