The 6 Profiles Of Children Working At Greater Depth

Way back in the 80s when I was a mere child and some of you weren't even born, George T. Betts and Maureen Neihart were thinking about gifted and talented children, and realising that they weren't just one homogenous group. They could see, just as we can today, that one child considered to be gifted and/or talented coulad be quite different to another. So they set about finding out whether or not there were any sub-categories of gifted and talented child. According to them, it turns out there are... but there also kind of aren't.

Gifted and Talented, or Working At Greater Depth?

Before we proceeed, a note: to provide some kind of consistency with my previous writing on such pupils I'm going to translate their use of 'gifted and talented' to 'working at greater depth'. Whilst the terminology, emphasis and even presuppositions and beliefs around what causes a child to sit in this category, has changed, I think we are all talking about the same kind of pupils.

Why Might It Be Useful To Identify Different Greater Depth Profiles?

The purpose of the work of Betts and Neihart was threefold:

• to increase awareness among educators and parents of differences among children working at greater depth

• to provide guidelines for identifying children working at greater depth

• to develop appropriate educational goals for those working at greater depth

However, they note themselves that "It is important to remember that this is a theoretical concept that can provide insights for facilitating the growth of the gifted and talented, not a diagnostic classification model."

What Are The 6 Profiles Of Children Working At Greater Depth?

Well, that's not as straightforward as I've led you to believe. The authors actually revisited their list of 6 in 2010 and updated it.

The original 6 Profiles (in 1988) were:

1. The Successful

2. The Challenging

3. The Underground

4. The Dropouts

5. The Double-Labelled

6. The Autonomous Learner

If you want to read more about these, you can by accessing the original paper on ResearchGate (it's free to download): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240729625_Profiles_of_the_Gifted_and_Talented

However, I'm going to focus in on the more recent iteration of the profiles:

The revised 6 Profiles (from 2010) were:

1. The Successful

2. The Creative

3. The Dual / Multiple Exceptional (DME)

4. The Underground

5. The At-Risk

6. The Autonomous

Potential Plus UK provide a brief break down of each profile in this download: https://potentialplusuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Profiles-of-High-Learning-Potential-Children.pdf. They also have individual information sheets to help support children of each profile: https://potentialplusuk.org/index.php/parent-advice-sheets/supporting-children/

Betts and Neihart produced the two following documents which explain the 2010 version of the 6 Profiles:

• http://www.mtagate.org/uploads/1/1/7/4/11741428/bettsgb_profilesofgifted.pdf

• https://www.qagtc.org.au/sites/www.qagtc.org.au/files/media/documents/Neihart%26Betts_PROFILES-BEST-REVISED-MATRIX-2010.pdf

Both outline the general feelings and attitudes, behaviors, needs, and adult/peer perceptions associated with each of the profiles, as well as information about identification, and home and school support.

What's most interesting to note is that there are pros and cons to each of the profiles. In my summaries I've attempted to capture something of this as I believe this is very useful for identification and target setting:

Greater Depth Profile 1: The Successful

Positive Attributes and Successes

• Consistently high academic achievement and strong grades

• Reliable, conscientious, and dependable

• Well-liked by teachers and peers; socially accepted

• Strong self-esteem and motivation to achieve

• Absorbs knowledge easily and responds well to structure

Challenges and Difficulties

• Avoids risk-taking and prefers “safe” choices

• Highly dependent on external approval and grades

• May not develop creativity or independent thinking

• Can feel anxiety or guilt over perceived failure

• Often uncertain about long-term goals or direction

Greater Depth Profile 2: The Creative

Positive Attributes and Successes

• Highly original, inventive, and expressive

• Intrinsically motivated; passionate about interests

• Willing to challenge norms and think outside the box

• Possesses deep insight and high energy

• Persistent in areas of personal interest

Challenges and Difficulties

• Sensitive and emotionally intense; self-esteem may fluctuate

• Struggles with authority and rigid structures

• May have difficulty with social interactions or teamwork

• Can experience internal conflict or frustration

• Tends to neglect routine or “boring” tasks

Greater Depth Profile 3: The Dual / Multiple Exceptional (DME)

Positive Attributes and Successes

• Strong problem-solving and conceptual thinking skills

• Creative and innovative; often sees connections others miss

• When supported, can show remarkable talent in strengths

• Demonstrates resilience in balancing abilities and challenges

• Possesses deep empathy and unique perspectives

Challenges and Difficulties

• Inconsistent academic performance

• Low self-concept or feelings of inferiority

• Frustration with slow processing or organisational issues

• Misunderstood or underestimated by teachers and peers

• Difficulty fitting into either greater depth or special education groups

Greater Depth Profile 4: The Underground

Positive Attributes and Successes

• Deeply self-reflective and aware of personal and social dynamics

• Can adapt across different social or cultural contexts

• Often maintains strong friendships while “hiding” ability

• Potential for authentic self-acceptance and balance over time

Challenges and Difficulties

• Suppresses or denies ability to fit in socially

• Experiences conflict about loyalty and belonging

• May withdraw from advanced programs or challenges

• Low self-confidence and fear of standing out

• Often unrecognised or seen as “average” by educators

Greater Depth Profile 5: The At-Risk

Positive Attributes and Successes

• Creative and original, particularly in chosen areas

• Can form strong bonds with supportive adults or mentors

• Shows persistence in areas of genuine interest

• Possesses latent potential and resilience when nurtured

Challenges and Difficulties

• Low self-esteem, frustration, anger, or depression

• Poor or inconsistent academic performance

• Conflict with authority and resistance to rules

• Social isolation or being mislabeled as a “troublemaker”

• Vulnerable to self-destructive or crisis behavior if unsupported

Greater Depth Profile 6: The Autonomous Learner

Positive Attributes and Successes

• Confident, self-directed, and intrinsically motivated

• Sets and achieves personal goals independently

• Resilient and able to recover from setbacks

• Produces original, high-quality work

• Maintains healthy peer and adult relationships

Challenges and Difficulties

• May lose interest in tasks that lack personal meaning

• Can become bored without sufficient challenge

• Sometimes perceived as overly independent or resistant

• Needs continued opportunities for growth and exploration

• Requires encouragement to stretch beyond comfort zones

Oof! That's a lot of information!

Perhaps as you read through you were beginning to identify particular children in your class? At this point, you'd probably better bookmark this blog post and download the documents shared above so that you can return to this when you really want to think about how you can identify and support individuals in your class.

Why There Kind Of Aren't 6 Profiles Of Children Working At Greater Depth

Betts and Neihart propose that the reason children working at greater depth might present differently is that who they are and how they present is also influenced by other factors such as their families, their education, their relationships, and their personal development.

This can present issues with identification because there are no binary, black and white definitions - no check box exercise - that help teachers to say with certainty that a child in their class is working at greater depth. But this is OK - we can deal with this. So long as we are willing to put some agreed guidelines in place and then trust judgements made based on those guidelines.

Just as I've pointed out in past writing that no single child will ever display every characteristic of a pupil working at greater depth, so Betts and Neihart write "These types are offered as a generalization to facilitate the task of identifying and guiding gifted children in all aspects of development. They are not intended to describe any one child completely."

This is important - what we are looking for is a best fit. The profiles give us clues as to whether a child might be working at greater depth, and then some idea of how we might challenge them and meet their needs.

So, although under the broad umbrella of 'working at greater depth' there may be 6 further profiles, there are in reality then an infinite number of profiles - every child is an individual. There may be 6 general profiles... but there kind of aren't!

Whether we use a general list of characteristics or Bett's and Neihart's 6 profiles to help in the identification and need-meeting of pupils working at greater depth, we are only ever using these as a starting point. As they themselves say, children "should not be defined by any one of the... categories."

Making impactful change in your school can be overwhelming. I know - I've been there myself and have guided many other school leaders through the process. I can help you to build the enriching experience you want for your pupils.

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