Intended for counselors, the paper discusses some of the critical periods and patterns of gifted child development that relate to career and life style determination. Case histories of two gifted and talented students are offered, following their lives from early childhood through early adulthood. Maslow's need hierarchy (focusing on the elements of security, acceptance, esteem, and actualization) is used as a framework for understanding these two case histories. Twelve critical issues with regard to the development of gifted and talented children are outlined, including the fact that talented people are likely to look for a career as their principal means of self expression, that they experience conflict between achieving excellence and being accepted as normal, and that many gifted women still perceive marriage and career as mutually exclusive and make unnecessary compromises in career planning. Some general career guidance needs of the gifted are discussed and summarized. (DLS)