The stresses of underachieving gifted children and the reasons for those stresses are examined. These stresses include pressure to be brilliant, creative, popular, and good. Recommendations for dealing with underachievement syndrome are provided, and brief case studies of underachieving gifted children are cited. (JDD)

The paper considers pressures on bright children and the relationship of such pressures to underachievement. It gives specific suggestions on the prevention of underachievement to both parents and teachers. Pressures often felt by gifted children include pressures to be brilliant, to be creative, to do something spectacular, to find oneself, to be…