Multi-criteria Identification of Gifted Children in a Spanish Sample

The objective of this study was to carry out a multi-criterion identification of gifted subjects in a representative sample of 530 ten-year-old school children. Using the cognitive maturity criterion, 8.4 % of subjects were detected; using the creativity criterion, 12 % of subjects were detected; using the cognitive maturity and creative criteria, 1.1 % of subjects were detected and using the cognitive maturity, creativity and motivation criteria, 2.8 % of subjects were detected. The prevalence of gifted children detected in this study confirms those described by other researchers. The results obtained support the use of flexible detection criteria, based on different theoretical focus, in order to design a wide range of educational interventions adapted to the diversity of high cognitive abilities.