Characteristics and educational support needs of underrepresented gifted adolescents

The purpose of this article is to present the characteristics and needs of adolescent students who are underrepresented in gifted programs. The specif ic populations of underrepresented gifted youth who will be addressed in th is article include young women, students with learning disabilities, and st udents living in poverty, The academic and social-emotional needs of studen ts from underrepresented populations will be presented, followed by strateg ies professionals can use to support these students. The importance of deve loping more sensitive identification and outreach programs for these youth is clearly illuminated by their social-emotional characteristics and academ ic underachievement. It is important to create support strategies for stude nts at the secondary level, as this may be their last point of entry in the educational system. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.