HIGH ABILITIES IN INSTITUTIONAL CARE: AN EXPERIENCE IN BRAZIL

Abstract

The objective of this research was to detect high abilities in students from institutional care facilities and offer an intervention to the identified students. The research used a mixed methodology; for the detection of high abilities, a cross-sectional survey design was employed, and for the intervention with the identified student, a case study was used. A total of 94 teachers, 4 specialist teachers, 12 professionals working in care institutions, and 1 adolescent participated in the study. The teachers and professionals of the 30 children and adolescents in institutional care pointed to only one adolescent with high abilities. The identified adolescent showed high ability in three domains: general intelligence, verbal intelligence, and socio-emotional intelligence. A cognitive and socio-emotional intervention, tailored to the adolescent's interests, was offered.