twiceexceptional

In a world that reveres words like "gifted," "genius," and "exceptional," the allure they cast is often accompanied by a reality of hurdles. Because the truth is that it is hard to navigate a society structured around normalized standards when you are remarkably talented in some areas yet present deficits in others.

Join us as we explore the world of those who are "twice exceptional" – individuals whose exceptional abilities are matched by unique challenges. Our guest, Harri James O'Kelley, Founder of The O'Kelley Lab, shares her inspiring journey and insights into how we can create a supportive environment for these exceptional individuals to not just survive but thrive.

We’ll explore the power of education, understanding, and opportunity in ensuring that the potential of "twice exceptional" individuals finds its rightful place in our diverse world. This episode will challenge perspectives and open doors to a more inclusive future.

Quirky kids often become the most accomplished adults, especially when they are allowed to grow and mature in a welcoming, neurodiversity-affirming environment. Dr. Dan Peters joins Emily Kircher-Morris to talk about the progress we’ve made toward that goal, and some of the pitfalls teachers, parents, and mental health professionals encounter as they guide kids into the future. Other topics include underachievement, PDA, dyslexia, and what we can learn from the bright, complex kids in our lives.

Also, educators and school administrators who are looking for continuing education or professional development material for gifted/twice-exceptional programs should consider our new offering, a 15-hour, 6-module course called “Strategies for Supporting Twice-Exceptional Students,” by Emily Kircher-Morris. Learn more and sign up at the Neurodiversity University.

ABOUT THE GUEST - Dr. Dan Peters is a psychologist, author, co-founder and Executive Director of the Summit Center. Dr. Peters has devoted his career to the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and families, specializing in overcoming worry and fear, learning differences such as dyslexia, and issues related to giftedness and twice-exceptionality.

 Dr. Dan is also co-founder of Parent Footprint, an interactive parenting education community and website. He is host of the Parent Footprint Podcast with Dr. Dan, and is a contributor to The Huffington Post and Psychology Today.

Dan is a co-author of Bright, Complex Kids: Supporting Their Social and Emotional Development. He is co-author of Raising Creative Kids, and many articles on topics related to parenting, family, giftedness, twice-exceptionality, dyslexia, and anxiety.

We talk a lot about the unique way neurodivergent kids see the world. Often, parents have a completely different view, and sometimes tend to try to rewire the kids to match theirs. Julie Skolnick guides and mentors parents, and has some advice on how they can adjust their approach, understand their kids better, and reap the rewards of a happier environment.

We also talk about our new online PD/CE course for educators, “Strategies for Supporting Twice-Exceptional Students,” which is now available at www.neurodiversity.university.

ABOUT THE GUEST - Julie Skolnick, M.A., J.D., founder of With Understanding Comes Calm, LLC, guides parents of gifted and distractible children, mentors 2e adults, trains educators and advises professionals on how to bring out the best and raise self-confidence in their 2e students and clients.

 Julie serves as Secretary to the Maryland Superintendent’s Gifted and Talented Advisory Council, is an advisor for the Masters of Education Program for the Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity, is the Maryland liaison for Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG), is a Committee member for the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) and serves as an advisor to “The G Word” feature documentary, currently in production.

 Julie produces Let’s Talk 2e! virtual conferences, hosts the Let’s Talk 2e! Parent Empowerment Series, maintains the free listing service 2eResources.com, and publishes Gifted & Distractible, a free monthly newsletter. She’s the mother of three twice exceptional children.

Today I’m speaking with Dr Geraldine Townend from UNSW about her research on self-concept of gifted, Twice Exceptional (2E), children and the lifelong impacts. We also talk about an awesome project she is supporting which is an educational screener for parents which is in its research phase and a great opportunity for you to get involved!

In the episode you’ll hear:

• What is self-concept and why it is so important
• Tools and strategies to address negative self-concept
• A new education screener for parents called Ed Screening
• How to get involved in the Ed Screening pilot program (see below)

Hit play and let’s get started!

Memorable Quote

“Because our twice exceptional students do have things that get in the way of their ability to learn and build some of those core skills, their self-concept starts to go down because they are seeing the world or seeing themselves as less than by comparison. So they do start to build a negative self-concept.” – Dr Geraldine Townend

“And she said, I'm trying to develop, , a screener that is going to be available at a really affordable cost for all the parents and the teachers out there. We'll screen all those things like autism, ADHD… dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, all the specific learning disorders and so on.

So the parents know in a moment who they need to go to next, which waiting list they need to get on for formal diagnosis… research based and really powerful.” – Dr Geraldine Townend

Resources

• Ed Screening
  • The pilot is currently open and needs a couple of hundred parents to fill out the survey about their child.
  • It takes about 20 mins, it’s FREE during the pilot phase and when the data is crunched, you’ll get a free report. Eventually, it will be instant and low cost.
  • This helps to create an educational screener, backed by research, that will provide direction for parents quickly and help them to know what professionals to see and what strategies to use in the meantime.
  • Things like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, all the specific learning disorders, and so on.
  • It will save months, if not years, of being on waitlists that don’t turn up a diagnosis and potentially hundreds of dollars for parents by helping them to figure out who it is they need to see.
  • Parents from anywhere in the world can participate.
  • Especially if you have concerns or questions about your child’s learning needs or neuro-diversity.
• UNSW - GERRIC
• Check the website for books on neurodiversity!
• Gifted with Learning Disability Australia

Bio

Geraldine Townend is a published academic with over a decade of experience in the field of gifted education, having expertise in the area of twice-exceptionality. Geraldine lectures and conducts research in GERRIC (Gifted Education Research and Resource Information Centre) in the areas of gifted education, gifted with learning disability, and special learning needs. Her research interests focus on supporting gifted and twice-exceptional students to aspire to their potential in education, which includes the development of positive academic self-concept.

Geraldine advises government around curriculum and education and has been featured on national TV. She has been currently working in an advisory capacity with the Department for Education, New South Wales. Geraldine conducts professional development for schools in the identification of, and support for, gifted underachievers, and has featured on Australian National television.

She also provides advice for parents and families of gifted and twice-exceptional students, and works closely with State, National and International Associations.

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Is suicidal ideation more prevalent among the gifted population? Do our beliefs about suicide square with statistics? In part one of our series on suicide among gifted and 2e youth, Dr. Tracy Cross joins us to shed some light on a dark subject, and shares his Spiral Model of the Suicidal Mind. This is a series all parents should hear.

This is a reprise of an episode that first aired in 2019. Since then, new suicide statistics have been released. (see link below) A marked decrease in suicide was noted from 2018 to 2019. We caution that one year doesn’t make a trend, but it is at least encouraging.

About the guest - Tracy L. Cross, Ph.D., holds an endowed chair, Jody and Layton Smith Professor of Psychology and Gifted Education, and is the executive director of the Center for Gifted Education and the Institute for Research on the Suicide of Gifted Students at William & Mary.

He has a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, an Ed.S. in Educational Psychology and Guidance from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, an M.S. in Educational Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a B.S. in Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

He received the Distinguished Service Award from The Association for the Gifted (TAG) and the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), the Early Leader, Early Scholar and Distinguished Scholar Awards from NAGC, and in 2009 was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the MENSA Education and Research Foundation. He has edited seven journals and is the current editor of the Journal for the Education of the Gifted. He presently serves as president of TAG and is president emeritus of NAGC. Among other books, he’s the co-author of Suicide Among Gifted Children and Adolescents.

You can support the podcast and receive subscriber-only benefits at www.patreon.com/neurodiversity. The Neurodiversity Podcast is available on Facebook and Instagram, and on Twitter @NeurodiversePod. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com

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Emily’s new book, “Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today’s Classroom,” is now officially released! This is a special episode, featuring an interview of Emily Kircher-Morris by her executive producer/husband Dave. They talk about her background, her experiences with 2e kids, and how she views the world of neurodiversity. They also preview the book!

ABOUT "TEACHING TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS IN TODAY'S CLASSROOM"

Twice-exceptional (2e) learners have often been misunderstood, disciplined, unchallenged, and left behind. Even as awareness of 2e learners has grown, educators are still in need of practical tools to recognize and support their twice-exceptional students. This book answers that need, providing teachers with accessible information about twice-exceptional diagnoses and suggested accommodations, modifications, and collaboration with other educational professionals.

Dedicated to the needs of all 2e learners, the first part of the book covers identifying and understanding 2e students, strength-based instruction, motivation and self-regulation, and executive functioning skills. The second part details how gifted students are affected by another diagnosis, including:

• Specific learning disabilities
• ADHD
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Processing difficulties
• Anxiety-based diagnoses
• Depression and other mood disorders

This book equips educators with information that will make it easier for them to advocate for their 2e students, including what they need to know about the individualized education plan (IEP) and Section 504 plan process. Special topics, such as gifted students with physical disabilities, students experiencing trauma, and gifted learners from diverse backgrounds, are also included.

With Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today’s Classroom, educators can better identify, support, and meet the needs of their 2e students.

You can buy the book via Amazon, Free Spirit Publishing, or wherever you buy books.

Gifted people often get lost in the shuffle within the neurodiversity movement. On episode 76 we talk with Dr. Matt Zakreski about how to keep them front and center, and ways to provide vital services to gifted and twice-exceptional people within the new neurodiversity framework.

ABOUT THE GUEST - Dr. Matt Zakreski has shaped his career around his passion for serving gifted kids, starting with being a counselor (and a camper) at the Center for Talented Youth summer program as a teenager. He’s cofounder of The Neurodiversity Collective, LLC, and in his practice he offers therapy, consultation/coaching, and assessment.

​Matt is a board member of PAGE, the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education, and works closely with multiple organizations around the country. He consults schools, presents at conferences internationally, conducts webinars, and leads discussions at his local library.

​He earned BAs in Psychology and Communications at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, NC.  He assisted with research at Harvard Psychophysiology Lab at the Harvard University Business School in Cambridge, MA before making his way to graduate school at Widener University, where he earned his Doctorate in Psychology (PsyD) from the Institute of Graduate Clinical Psychology. He currently serves as an adjunct professor in the psychology department at Goldey Beacom College in Wilmington, DE.

You can support the podcast and receive subscriber-only benefits at www.patreon.com/neurodiversity. The Neurodiversity Podcast is available on Facebook and Instagram, and on Twitter @NeurodiversePod. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com

Talking parenting and Megan’s (Twice) Exceptional Life

Today I’m speaking with Megan about parenting twice-exceptional children and the very important community we need around us as parents.

In the episode you’ll hear:

• Megan’s journey of uncovering her son’s giftedness and twice exceptionality
• The challenges of parenting 2e children – those intense melt downs
• How praise and perfectionism are big challenges
• How intense anxiety is a daily struggle
• Why we all need a community to support us

Hit play and let’s get started!

Memorable Quotes

• “I remember thinking something isn’t quite right here. As he grew up, he continued to have massive meltdowns, big, big multiple hour-long meltdowns over tiny things.” -Megan
• “If it’s not me that is going to support my child 100% and understand them as well as I can then who else is going to?” -Megan
• “Who is my child? Meet him where he is, this is what he is capable of right now.” – Megan
• “In the past year where I have had this new awakening to him and his needs, my relationship has flourished, he trusts me. Our relationship has this new understanding.” – Megan
• “We have had a great year and I think that’s due to my patience with him and my demeanor. I want to understand him and connect with him.” – Megan
• “Giftedness is not easy and there is a real myth that gifted kids are just a breeze. They are amazing but it’s also really challenging as a parent.” -Sophia
• “Finding other people was a game-changer for me.” - Megan

Resources

• This (Twice) Exceptional Life Website
• This (Twice) Exceptional Life Instagram

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Michael Postma, Ed.D., shares the latest research on the twice-exceptional brain, why children who are gifted and have a learning disability or disorder like ADHD often struggle with social-emotional growth, and how to best support them.

One thing’s for sure about parenting - it’s hard. Even more so with gifted and twice-exceptional kids. But parents often get so caught up in taking care of their kids they forget the all-important self-care. Jen Torbeck Merrill is the author of If This Is a Gift, Can I Send It Back, and also a parenting self-care advocate. She’s our guest on episode 33 of Mind Matters.

About the guest - Jen Merrill is an Illinois-based writer, blogger, flutist, and gifted family advocate. The mom of two boys, she homeschools her twice-exceptional teen while happily sending his brother off to middle school every morning. She is a music educator by trade, with degrees in music education and flute performance. Jen started blogging in 2006 and now runs the website LaughingAtChaos.com. Her book, If This is a Gift, Can I Send It Back, is available wherever books are sold. Jen can be found at An Intense Life, and has published articles in the Understanding Our Gifted Journal and Huffington Post.

Jen is a Gifted Homeschoolers Forum Ambassador and has presented at several national and international gifted conferences, and she’s scheduled to present a keynote address as the SENG 2019 National Conference this year in Houston, TX.

Host Emily Kircher-Morris has dual Masters degrees in Counseling and Education, is a Licensed Professional Counselor, and specializes in the area of giftedness throughout the lifespan. She founded the non-profit organization The Gifted Support Network, is the owner of Unlimited Potential Counseling & Education Center, and is the mother of three gifted children.