About 35 parents are planning to picket at the State House Monday morning to protest the treatment of "gifted and creative" Children in public schools. "I'm declaring war on the state," declared Mrs. Marie Friedel, of Warwick, founder and executive secretary of the Foundation for Gifted and Creative Children. Mrs. Friedel has constantly accused public schools of putting creative children into the same category as those who are mentally retarded. The gifted child, because of certain behavioral problems, is often given dulling medication in school and treated like a mentally retarded child, she said. The "gifted" child, she said, has an unusually high intellectual and creative ability which is hampered in the public school. As a result, she has protested the use of medically prescribed drugs in elementary schools. She claims many "gifted and creative" children are given the drugs just because they are restless and rebellious under restrictive educational systems.

She said she has drawn up a petition calling on the Governor, General Assembly and state Department of Education to recognize the problems of the gifted children. The petition asks the state to: -- Prohibit the use of "illicit drugs" as a "coverup" for the "poor quality of teaching and curriculum" in elementary schools; -- Prohibit the sending of children to out-of-state schools for the emotionally disturbed; -- Investigate the use of inferior programs for the gifted and creative children in Warwick, Cranston and East Providence; -- Implement the state Gifted Child Law; -- Require Rhode Island College to include in its teacher training program at least one course on the psychology of the gifted, and; -- Demand Family Court judges to recognize the "constitutional rights of children." She said she has had no success in trying to convince state political and educational leaders of the need for recognizing the problems of gifted children. "I will not move until something is done," she said.