Gifted Children

As directors of a school for gifted children, we were appalled by Garry Trudeau’s Doonesbury comic strip (Nov. 30). Mother and child seemed quite dismayed that he has tested in the gifted range and the child pleads that they not send him to “nerd school.”

All Trudeau succeeds in doing is reinforcing the damaging stereotypes that have stigmatized gifted children for many years. These children are indeed not “nerds.” They are similar to other children in so many respects, but have this one dimension that needs to be nurtured--for their sakes as well as society as a whole.

With all the ills besetting our nation and the world, ranging from world hunger to nuclear warfare to drugs, etc., etc., it might well be a time to consider supporting and nurturing giftedness, rather than putting it down as an aberration of which one might well be ashamed.

DR. and MRS. N.J. MIRMAN

Los Angeles