Special talents and defects

This work surveys evidence for mental functions that are dissociated from general intelligence and outlines implications for schooling. It reviews methods for measuring special aptitudes versus IQ, statistical relations among capacities, and psychographic profiling of individual strengths and weaknesses. Physiological hypotheses about neural localization receive critical treatment. Separate chapters analyze reading, spelling, arithmetic, drawing, and music, presenting psychological analyses, case studies of exceptional or deficient performance, and considerations of heredity and variability. Practical implications for diagnosis, remediation, and classroom organization are discussed to guide educators in recognizing and responding to diverse endowments.