Schools in the United States are not mandated to meet the needs of advanced learners, as they are for students with learning difficulties. However, gifted classes are classified as special education, and these learners can receive individualized education plans (IEPs). Gifted kids are often bored in academic classes with their age-mates, and they do not share similar interests. Therefore, they can feel lonely and get depressed or angry if their educational and socio-emotional needs are not met. 

Luckily, there are some solutions. Acceleration, or grade skipping, can work for some students. Usually, there are positive academic and social outcomes from this step. Kids are happier with other kids who share their interests, and they feel more challenged. They also behave better in this situation. Pull-out programs for gifted kids may not provide enough time to deeply challenge them, but it is better than nothing. Summer institutes can provide a respite for kids from school, and they may be elated to find others like them and experience a sense of belonging, perhaps for the first time.

Homeschooling is another option. The flexibility of this choice allows students to progress at their own pace. However, some kids may not tolerate being away from their peers as well as others can. Taking college classes early can excite students. Some kids are suited to being away from home earlier than age 17 or 18, but others may develop emotional problems due to their unhappiness at being separated from their parents. Schools for the gifted can help, but they are often geared towards moderately gifted students; they may not be willing or able to meet the needs of exceptionally and profoundly gifted kids.

Schools can be resistant to providing services for intellectually advanced students for several reasons. First, they are not mandated to, and they may be overwhelmed by the needs of regular and learning-challenged students. The thinking is that gifted kids have better abilities and consequently do not need assistance. Schools aim to educate the middle 50% of the population at grade level. They often cater to the needs of learning disabled students because they are required by law to do so, and they may ignore gifted students. Teachers and schools may have a negative attitude towards exceptional students. They sometimes punish kids for completing work too quickly or for being creative in a manner that the teacher did not intend them to be. Schools may be resistant to grade skipping or refuse to do that at all. (My own high school refused to grant a diploma to a student who skipped a grade.)

However, there are good schools, teachers and educational options for parents to choose from. It is definitely challenging to advocate for an intellectually precocious child, but parents can find solutions.

Genius Denied: How to Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds by Jan and Bob Davidson, 2004

• Association for Gifted and Talented Education in New York State (AGATE)
• Davidson Institute for Talent Development
• Long Island School for the Gifted
• National Association for Gifted Children
• Program for the Exceptionally Gifted (PEG) at Mary Baldwin College
• Bard College at Simon's Rock
• Stuyvesant High School
• Books on gifted education