This presentation will help you identify the characteristics of an exceptional child.

1. The Exceptional Child

2. • Is one who deviates from the behavior of a
normal child.
• The term exceptional children includes children
who experience difficulties in learning as well as
those whose performance is so superior that
modifications in curriculum and instruction are
necessary to help them fulfill their potential.
• Exceptional children is an inclusive term that
refers to children with learning and/or behavior
problems, children with physical disabilities or
sensory impairments, and children who are
intellectually gifted or have a special talent.

3. Characteristics of Intellectually Gifted
Child
1. He learns very fast with minimum directions
and grasps concepts easily.
2. He can readily understand what he reads and
could retain and recall principles and
theories presented.
3. He organizes his thoughts systematically.
4. He recognizes relationships; thinks
reflectively and critically.

4. 5. He is aware of the various events in the
environment that often children do not take
note.
6. He has a good command of language or several
languages and dialects.
7. He has wide range of vocabulary.
8. He accepts intellectual talent and works on his
mental tasks diligently.
9. He is curious of things and events and of
people’s behavior.
10. He is creative and initiates activities.

5. 11.He is original in ideas and concepts and has a
new way of presenting them.
12.He is a very keen observer; responds quickly
and accurately.
13.He reasons out why things occur, how things
exist, where things come from and digs deeper
in literature to get support reasons.
14.He has a variety of interests on any subject.

6. Children with low intelligence deviate from the
average children intellectually. This includes slow
learners and the mentally retarded.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A CHILD WITH LOW
INTELLIGENCE
1. He has short attention span.
2. He finds difficulty in comprehending what he
reads.
3. He cannot remember what he reads.
CHILDREN WITH LOW
INTELLLIGENCE

7. 4. He asks questions irrelevant to the topic on
hand.
5. The Test results are low.
6. He shuns abstract and difficult mental tasks.
7. He is very slow in responding.
8. He needs close supervision in his activities.
9. He lacks inquisitiveness and desire to explore
and investigate.
10. He is delayed in development-teething,
walking, and talking.

8. GENERAL MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
CHILDREN
Early Childhood (EC)- 3 to 8 years old
1. Thinks of his own actions first
Late Childhood (LC)- 9 to 12 years old
1. Thinks of others in his behavioral response.
There is increased capacity for social interaction
EC 2. Aware of limited number of things and
situations

9. LC 2. Expanded awareness
EC 3. Attends to a stimulus or stimuli for a short
period of time
LC 3. Attends to stimulus or stimuli for longer
periods
EC 4. Has very simple ideas
LC 4. Gives more meanings to what he perceives
EC 5. Remembers few experiences for short
periods
LC 5. Remember more experiences and details
for longer periods

10. EC 6. Has limited communication symbols
LC 6. Manipulates more verbal and written
symbols
EC 7. Reasons directly and straight forwards
sometimes without thinking the consequences.
LC 7. Reasons and solves problems with
objectivity and with reflective thinking. Thinks of
results
EC 8. Deals with simple concepts
LC 8. Deals with abstract concepts

11. EC 9. Makes simple judgments in terms of the
external characteristics of objects
LC 9. Judgments are weighed and include internal
intangible characteristics.
EC 10. Compares situations simply
LC 10. Compares in a more detailed manner
EC 11. Does not hypothesize
LC 11. Hypothesizes
EC 12. May or may not evaluate
EC 12. Evaluates

12. 1. Intelligence is dependent upon heredity,
environment, and individual functioning.
2. Intelligence tests for infants are often essentially
a series of developmental norms.
3. No intelligence test measures the individual’s
background of experience.
4. The IQ is not constant.
GENERAL CONCEPTS OF MENTAL
PROCESS

13. 5. Intelligence is composed of several abilities which
are usually manifested in academic performance.
6. Significant changes in mental ability are often
accompanied by changes in brain weight.
8. Mental growth varies among individuals.
9. Developmental tasks in perception proceeds from
the simple to the more complicated perceptual tasks.
10. Exceptional children should be helped so that
they attain maximum development.

14. 11. Symptoms characteristics of those who have
defects should be observed so that early diagnosis
and therapy can be facilitated.
12. Other handicaps of a child may affect
intellectual development.

15. "Excellence is the result of caring
more than others think is wise,
risking more than others think is
safe, dreaming more than others
think is practical, and expecting
more than others think is possible."
REMEMBER, YOU ARE YOUR CHILD'S BEST
ADVOCATE!!!
Michael F. Caballero
Reporter