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S2.6.6 Asynchrony Revealed: The Columbus Group Story
There are many from the fields of psychology and education who have noticed and identified the uneven development of some children. For Binet, he codified such differences as he crafted the first intelligence test and compared mental with chronological age. For Hollingworth (1931), she added the study of psychology of gifted and noted, “To have the intelligence of an adult and the emotions of a child combined in a childish body is to encounter certain difficulties.” For Vygotsky, he observed that early language acquisition affects the biological development of the brain, which leads the child to experiences that are qualitatively different. However, not until 1991 were all of these concepts melded into a very different conception of giftedness. The Columbus Group offered this definition: Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting, teaching and counseling in order for them to develop optimally. (The Columbus Group, 1991) This session traces the journey of the Columbus Group and the historical context in which this definition was generated, how it was conceived, and the reason that the group saw a need for such a departure from models that equated giftedness with achievement. The purpose of this session is to provide an overview of this important definition's conception, history, and essential future direction as well as the implications for living and learning.