Issues in the Identification of the Gifted.

The need to identify gifted children through careful and complete individual tests and case studies somehow has not been accepted. Four general categories of concern appear to inhibit such identification procedures: (a) inadequacy of existing measures, (b) variability of intelligence, (c) cost of identification and special programs, and (d) establishment of a meritocracy, identification of gifted children and provision of appropriate programs for them would maximize each child's potential for intellectual development, and untold benefits would accrue to both the individuals and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]