Jude attended college with his revised 504 Plan accommodations and executive functions coaching access. We worked together to have these set in place, through his college disability department. He drives. He manages his own bank account. He has a rich social life. My brother is twenty-seven years younger than me. Jude was born four months early via emergency cesarean … [Read more...] about Hey, Jude
twice-exceptional
Q: I just found out that I am on the spectrum and have an IQ of 153. What does that mean? Who am I?
It means you are AMAZING! Having an IQ of 153 and being on the autism spectrum is what you call twice-exceptional (2e), where one has a dual identification of giftedness and a learning difference. Being 2e is part of the neurodiverse spectrum where your mind and body are uniquely wired. This unique brain wiring is foundational where one’s receptivity, processing, … [Read more...] about Q: I just found out that I am on the spectrum and have an IQ of 153. What does that mean? Who am I?
Gifted Feelings
This is the eternal balancing act: being grateful for the superpowers we have as gifted humans and practicing self-love, patience, and perspective when our intensities take over our brains and bodies. In the end, it’s my hope that gifted people realize their giftedness as a gift rather than a guillotine. I love the question posed in this inaugural issue of The GHF … [Read more...] about Gifted Feelings
There’s No One Way to Be Gifted
Whether giftedness itself is a burden depends entirely on whether you have experienced true understanding from others. Feeling grossly misunderstood your entire life is most definitely a burden. There may also be aspects of asynchrony and intensity that make life more challenging. I recently found a file of old journals. My senior year journal, shared only with my English … [Read more...] about There’s No One Way to Be Gifted
The Long Winding Path of Giftedness
Suddenly, there was this community out there who knew my battles, who didn't make me feel like a parental failure because of my outlier son, and who understood that it was possible to have a preschooler who demanded scientifically accurate bedtime stories on the same day he got his head stuck in a friend’s banister. Late 1970s. Books, books, and more books. No one got … [Read more...] about The Long Winding Path of Giftedness
The Extraordinary, Personal Journey of a Twice-Exceptional Child
Then very early one morning, around 5:00 am, I heard a little voice coming from the living room. I quietly tiptoed down the hallway, before poking my head into the room. I saw Nicholas sitting cross-legged, dressed for school, and reading a book. Tears ran down my face as I watched him achieve something that once appeared impossible. “There is no correlation … [Read more...] about The Extraordinary, Personal Journey of a Twice-Exceptional Child
Connecting with Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration
I’ve learned, during my work over the past few years, that most people in the gifted community are unaware of the origins of the overexcitabilities as disintegrative elements within the theory of positive disintegration. One of my goals with this column is to introduce the aspects of Dabrowski’s theory that haven’t been explored in the gifted field. It’s an honor to have … [Read more...] about Connecting with Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration
Woman in the Mirror: Accepting my Giftedness by Accepting My Little Square Peg
The real question here is whether my journey has enabled me to come full circle with accepting my own giftedness. My answer continues to be, “It’s a journey!” The relationships I’ve developed with my colleagues, cohort, friends, and fellow parents on this journey are priceless as they cheer, encourage, question, and hold up the mirror so I can see myself with greater … [Read more...] about Woman in the Mirror: Accepting my Giftedness by Accepting My Little Square Peg
My Journey to Being Gifted and Talented
Sometimes we need to consider extenuating circumstances in the child’s life, such as poverty, lack of opportunities, twice-exceptionalities (2E), limited parental understanding of the system, and just being a “late-bloomer” like me. Sometimes it’s about changing the mindsets of teachers, administrators, parents, community members, and students. How do we get to certain … [Read more...] about My Journey to Being Gifted and Talented