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This is Our Moment

In clinching his party's nomination for president, then candidate Barack Obama made his famous 'This is our moment' speech. In it he stated, "Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another ... This is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past.

Regardless of your politics or country of origin, many great advances in history have come at seemingly dark moments. Resolution of problems are born out of humankind seeking different approaches and new opportunities.

Gifted advocacy is at this point. The global economic crisis has sent financial support spiraling downward with no end in site. Gifted education funding always seems to be the first item on the chopping block.

Amidst all the negative news, there is hope and it is being driven by technology. The very nature of the problem is also the solution. Lack of support by politicians and the general populace is being countered by the gifted themselves. Online communities are forming throughout the world such as #gtchat on Twitter. Great minds are being brought together with the simple idea that our future depends on supporting those minds who have the capacity to make the world a better place.

Politicians will try to build walls and seek support from the very constituencies they created who cannot understand how their education was usurped from them under the guise of 'test results will mean you are smarter'. It is the role of gifted advocates to say enough is enough! If governments are unwilling to support the gifted, then they will simply do it on their own.

This leads to the premise of this post. In terms of supporting our gifted children - this is OUR moment; this is OUR time! Funding really isn't the issue; SUPPORT is the issue. Realizing the magnitude of the consequences for not supporting gifted children is what needs to be understood by the world's leaders. Mindsets need to be changed and attitudes toward the gifted need to be adjusted.

It is incumbent upon this generation ... parents... to support the next generation ... our children. It is not a matter of 'if', but of 'when'. The time is now! Nations who do not come to the realization that supporting their gifted youth is a matter of great opportunity will fall behind those who had the foresight to do so.

The Language of Gifted Education

It can sometimes seem like you need to learn an entire new language when you enter the world of gifted education. In many countries, "gifted" education falls under the umbrella of special education which may be disconcerting to some parents. This, however, is simply the recognition that gifted children learn in different ways.

The first term you will probably hear is identification which is simply the process used to determine if a child qualifies for the gifted program in their school. It usually involves a series of tests administered by a certified school psychologist including an IQ test (130 and above is generally considered gifted). The age at which these tests are given is normally determined by the school. Recently, New York City schools made the news when they decided to test students in their kindergarten programs. Additional criteria might include parent or teacher recommendations, achievement tests, and a history of when development milestones were reached.

Once all the data is collected, a team of educators, psychologists, guidance counselors, and school administrators meet to determine the best placement for your child. The team will generate a report containing their findings and recommendations. Remember that you, as the parent, have the right to challenge this report if you disagree with any part of it.

Once your child qualifies for special services, you will be invited to meet with school officials to develop a gifted IEP (individualized education plan). At this meeting, it is important that you or your child's advocate (if present) take detailed notes concerning what is said by everyone present. The GIEP should include your child's present level of performance, standardize test scores, expectations in each subject area and how the school intends to assist your child - enrichment, pull-out, project-based learning, acceleration and/or grade skipping to name just a few. Make sure that everything you agree to is included in the final written IEP. In the U.S., you will also be provided with information concerning parental rights and who to contact if these rights are violated.

This brings us to two more terms you need to know - mediation and due process. When you encounter a disagreement with the school district , you can request a mediator to review your case and recommend a solution. This should always be the first step. All parties can work together and hopefully come to an agreement. If this does not resolve the issue, due process is the next step. A word of caution; due process is a formal hearing and in most cases, the findings are non-binding. Do not proceed to this stage unless you have detailed documentation and know exactly what you hope to gain. An advocate is highly recommended! Unfortunately, you should also be aware that sometimes your child may be the target of retaliation by school officials. The decision is yours and hopefully you won't have to get to this point.

Empathy in a Global Society & Implications for Gifted Children

Empathy can be defined in many ways. In today’s world, empathy is expressed in relation to circumstances. Locally, an individual may or may not express empathy for another individual. Nationally, a government may display empathy for its citizens. Globally, it becomes manifest when a person or society is able to perceive and respect cultures other than one’s own.

What connection is there between empathy and gifted parenting? Global empathy needs to be fostered in gifted children because these children have the potential of becoming academic, corporate and governmental world leaders. It will be incumbent upon them to display empathy toward the cultures with which they interact. It is in fact a much sought after quality in persons who function in high-level positions. We need look no further than the recent disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. The inability of BP’s corporate leaders to assess the public’s outrage surrounding the oil leak and then deal with it was stunning. The CEO displayed an incredible lack of empathy. After being relieved of his public duties, he returned home to watch a yacht race while thousands of people were watching their livelihoods from the oceans disappear!

All parents want their children to be happy and find fulfillment in life. Parents of gifted children are no different. Professional achievements may be easy for the gifted child, but empathizing with others often proves more difficult and sometimes unattainable. These children are often seen as being able to quickly know how others feel about them, but that does not always translate into empathy for the other person. Gifted individuals may show deep concern for ‘issues’ such as global warming or the plight of endangered species, but in relation to themselves.

Being able to demonstrate empathy can bear many fruits for a gifted child. Friendship begins with empathy. Interpersonal relationships can be difficult for gifted children. They often fail to see shared traits or interests with other children their age. They themselves can feel misunderstood by their peers. Empathy bridges the gap between gifted and others. Empathy is both a precedent as well as antecedent to compassion (). When a child feels compassion for someone else, he or she may begin to discover similarities. This eventually forms the foundation of friendship.

So how does one ‘teach’ empathy? You must first understand its meaning. Simon Baron-Cohen describes empathy as “understanding the other’s feelings and the ability to take their perspective” as well as the observer being able to make the “appropriate emotional response to another person’s emotional state.” (Baron-Cohen, The Essential Difference, 2003). The best way to teach empathy is by modeling it. As mentioned above, gifted children are keen observers of other people’s emotions and are able to grasp the meaning of these emotions at a very early age. Parents can guide these young minds to see the importance of responding to these emotions in a positive way, thus enhancing their relationships with others and the quality of their own lives.

The world as a global society becomes more apparent everyday. The role of gifted individuals transcends national boundaries and their leadership will prove pivotal in the direction taken in worldwide relationships. Parenting becomes more of a challenge with these higher stakes but the rewards are fantastic! A world in which its leaders can display effective empathy will be a world of peace and prosperity.

Counseling for Gifted Parents

While recently reading a on introducing gifted education to Japan, the following passage stood out "what was highest in need was counseling for the parents of gifted children. Many replied that they would receive moderately strong benefits from consultation...". The author referenced an article from Gifted Child Quarterly (Feldhusen, J.F., Kelly, K.R., and Moon, S.M., Vol. 41, pgs. 16 - 25, 1997).

The next day, a colleague from work related to me remarks she had heard at a conference made by a teacher from Argentina of the severely handicapped. Her approach was to involve the entire family in counseling.

It has long been known that gifted children have social-emotional issues that require the services of various types of counselors. However, I had not considered that parents needed counseling as well.

In recent months, my involvement with an international group of professionals who are gifted advocates on Twitter(#gtchat)brought me in contact with my first life coach, Lisa Lauffer (http://www.deepwaterscoaching.com/index.htm) Lisa specializes in working with gifted parents. An idea quite foreign to me; I am now convinced it is imperative that gifted parents avail themselves of such services. On her website, Lisa states, "I help moms ignite their own potential as they help their children unleash theirs." That statement was like an epiphany for me!

Many times as I was raising my own children, I felt very alone. Today, parents are so fortunate to have personal coaches and counselors who actually know and understand the unique challenges of parenting gifted children. Take my advice and get in touch with DeepWatersCoaching. You can follow her on Twitter and from there link to her site.

Funding Gifted Education

"Obama Strips All Gifted and Talented and Advanced Education Funding". This headline from the article by Dick Kantenberger of the Houston Examiner.com spread like wildfire on Twitter this week. The 'terrible, horrible, no good, very bad' president has "totally stripped the only funding for gifted and talented education." Really?

The fact of the matter is that the federal government in the U.S. has never funded gifted education. The Javits Act, which is the first item mentioned in this article, was incorporated by Public Law 107 - 110 in 2001 (NCLB) and received only sporadic and scanty funding from the Bush Administration. Furthermore, Javits was strictly competitive grant money; not general funding of gifted education. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) proposed to replace NCLB, does provide funding for college prep courses, dual enrollment, early college high schools, and AP classes. () The district in which I work has already benefited from a state grant that funds these same initiatives with great success.

In the U.S., funding of gifted education has always been left to the states. If anything, the ESEA is an improvement over NCLB. Programs that include gifted children will now receive federal money.

That being said, where do gifted advocates turn to find funding for gifted education? First and foremost, I would expect nothing less than creative solutions from the gifted community. This is not a new problem. It is a challenge and who better to meet it than the gifted? It is also not a 'local' issue or a 'U.S.' only issue; it is a global issue that should be met globally.

My Twitter colleague, Gifted Phoenix, has proposed an International Federation of G & T Parent' organizations. I enthusiastically applaud his proposal and plan to support his efforts. It is time for gifted advocates (both parents and professionals) to stand together and resolve to raise awareness of the importance of funding gifted educational programs.

History has shown that governments are often unable or unwilling to fund their best and brightest due to economic circumstances and political agendas. The very nature of government elections periodically changes the political landscape of any funding makes it an unreliable source of funding. The alternative is to seek private funding from those with a vested interest in the outcome - universities, corporations, and non-profit foundations.

My final point is that like Gifted Phoenix and the members of #gtchat on Twitter, I believe the time is now to work together on finding the best possible solutions to fund global gifted initiatives. And remember - it is about "gifted children" whose potential must be realized in this generation to ensure a bright future for all children!

Creating a Global Gifted Community

Last week our local parents' group decided to reach out to gifted parents outside our local community, but still within our county. It's a bit of a radical concept for this area. However, it just seemed like this right thing to do. There is strength in numbers and we suspect that there are many untapped resources in our county.

This got me to thinking. Our group is an affiliate of the state advocacy group. Our state group is associated with a national (U.S.) group. Europe has the European Council for High Ability and the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (3 U.S. groups are affiliates). Pacific rim countries will be meeting for an international conference soon.

So, what about people from all over the world getting together to discuss gifted children and their education? Well, a nascent group already exists on Twitter that meets via #gtchat on Fridays at noon and 7PM (EDT) to do just that. The moderator, Deborah Mersino (Colorado), has her own website @ www.ingeniosus.net as well as a Facebook page. This Twitter group is sprinkled with extraordinary parents, professionals, and teachers from around the world; each offering their unique perspective on gifted children. We all share the same frustrations with schools who don't meet gifted children's needs; classmates and teachers who don't understand them; and societies who do not value them.

The reason we need to consider ourselves part of a global community is simple. We can learn from each other and together make the world a better place for our children who, in turn, can make the world a better place for us all!

Redefining Giftedness - Another Perspective

The world of gifted education was all abuzz this week about the need to redefine "giftedness". The weekly gtchat on Twitter was tweeting about it. The National Association for Gifted Children in the U.S. rolled out a rare 'position paper' on the subject. This was on the heels of an article by Jim Delisle in Education Week, "What Gifted Learners Can Learn From Sarah Palin" (3/30/2010) which in essence made the case that only the top 1% - 3% of the population is truly gifted. His position, in part, stemmed from the belief that detractors of gifted education - believers that 'all are gifted' - were given the upper hand in the debate when the definition of giftedness was diluted to include 'less' than profoundly gifted individuals. It was also a week in which I began to research approaches to gifted education around the world for a presentation. Even discussing this topic produced strong emotions in parents and educators.

So, why the uproar and why the dissent? There's a reason for so many definitions of what is gifted and we must consider the motivation of those writing the definitions. Understanding "why" these divergent definitions evolved and "why" many want to keep the status quo on current gifted thinking will bring us all closer to an understanding of being gifted.

I think the question being raised is not defining gifted, but rather, "Is a child gifted enough?" Right or wrong, it is the quantifiable measures (IQ, test scores, grades) that will determine if a child is labeled 'gifted' and not the subjective traits observed by the examiner. In a world of dwindling economic resources, do we advocate for the top 1% to 3% ... the top 10%? If you are the parent of a profoundly gifted child, your answer is easy. But, what if your child is among the remaining 7 out of 10?

If the push to narrowly define giftedness cuts out 70% of those now identified as gifted, can the gifted 'community' withstand the resulting schism? For psychologists and educators who don't have children who would be affected by the change to the definition, the debate is academic. For parents; not so much.

In truth, I think a more explicit definition is needed. We certainly need to silence the 'all children are gifted' [not specifying academically gifted] mantra because it simply isn't true when it comes to intelligence and talent. Consensus building is a much more viable option. I am finding that approaches to gifted education (and thus, giftedness) vary widely across the globe; much more than I ever anticipated. Once we can all agree on the terminology, a global approach to advocacy could be key to improving educational programs worldwide.

New to Gifted Parenting? Educate Yourself!

Few people know when they become parents for the first time that they are also entering the world of gifted parenting. Even though they may have been labeled gifted themselves, they soon come to the realization that "they aren't in Kansas anymore".

The first inklings of giftedness can be observed very early as developmental milestones are reached well in advance of what the parenting guides tell you. Or, you may not even realize that your child is gifted until a teacher approaches you with a request to evaluate. Either way, the news should be welcomed with a desire to learn everyting you can to become your child's advocate and supporter.

Today, resources abound on the Internet, in bookstores, and hopefully from your local school district. Avail yourself of all these resources, but then trust your intuition. You know your child best. Work at keeping the lines of communication open throughout the many phases of their development between you and your child. National groups such as the , the , (for profoundly gifted) all provide a wealth of information on their websites.

Networking with other parents is a good way to learn about gifted education in your school system. The types of programs offered can greatly impact your child's education and vary widely from school to school. You will soon realize that as the parent of a gifted child, you will become their chief advocate. If parents in your school have organized into a formal group, it would be advisable to join it. There is strength in numbers.

In the U.S., there are several different approaches to gifted education. I will explain just a few of the options. Schools can use a "pull out" program where students leave the regular classroom to go to a resource room with a teacher who focuses primarily on gifted education. This model is generally used in elementary schools. It may mean that your child spends an entire day, a few hours, or a specified length of time in the resource room for enrichment and/or acceleration. Another option that many schools rely solely on is the practice of inclusion. This is becomming more prevalent due to budgetary restraints. Students receive differentiated instruction within the regular classroom either from the regular education teacher or a gifted educator. A relatively new program called RTI (Response to Intervention) which is used across the spectrum to assist struggling students is beginning to be used as an intervention method for gifted students. A simple adaptation to the overall program allows schools to add a gifted category to the interventions offered. Once your child enters middle school and high school, most parents see a stark difference in what a school district offers as gifted education. Based on the myth that gifted students always rise to the top and don't need any special help, secondary schools begin to tell parents that AP and IB classes constitute the district's gifted education. However, by this time in your child's life you know that this is simply not true.

Trying to find the best opportunities for your child is often a heart-wrenching process. Hard choices must be made. Do you stay where you are and accept what is offered, stay and try to improve the situation within your local school, move to another school district, look for an accessible charter school that offers gifted education, or homeschool your child? You must decide what is right for your child and your family.

There is one final alternative that I would like to offer if you must stay in a less than ideal setting. Do not rely on the school as your child's sole source of education. Take an active role in teaching your child or find others who can teach them in their areas of interest.

Parenting in itself can be a long and winding road. Gifted parenting adds many challenges along the way. In the end, you will find that it was all worth it!

Enrichment During School Breaks

Soon, schools will be entering their summer break in the U.S. Whenever your school has an extended break, consider it an opportunity to enrich your child's life by taking advantage of programs through universities, summer camps, and travel.

So often, parents don't take the time to find out what's available in their area. Some programs can be very expensive but are great if you can afford them. However, many are low-cost, no cost, or have financial assistance/scholarships available.

Talk to your child about their interests. Depending on their age, either you or your child can research what they'd like to do. Gifted teachers/coordinators, parent support groups, and the Internet can all reveal potential activities.

The objective is not to turn the break into another school term! Your child needs to be engaged in the process and willing to participate. It can be fun and pique their interest at the same time.

Personally, what worked best with my family was turning family vacations into learning experiences. It didn't matter if we were in the Rocky Mountains, on the Pacific coast, at Niagara Falls or at Epcot in Disney World - we turned it into a learning experience.

For example, my daughter was fascinated with dinosaurs as are many young children; but as a gifted child, her fascination went far beyond reading books about dinosaurs. Living near Pittsburgh, our first trips were to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History to see the dinosaur bones and to learn everything we could about them. Whenever a famous paleontologist was in town, meeting them or going to a lecture became a family outing.

When we went on vacation to Colorado, Dinosaur National Monument was on the itinerary. While visiting relatives in Texas, we made sure to visit the famous dinosaur tracks. Even while visiting colleges in NYC, we took time to go to the American Museum of Natural History. Today, she is in college majoring in Cultural Anthropology with paleontology still on the back-burner and my son recently moved to Colorado citing memories of family trips there when he was younger!

Oftentimes, my husband and I thought our children weren't paying attention, but years later we have seen these experiences bear fruit in their lives. We have witnessed how our children view the world, the expanded interests they have pursued, and the maturity they have gained through participatory learning. Education outside the classroom can bring about powerful changes in the life of a gifted child.

Updated: April 1, 2015
Photo courtesy of .

Gifted Education Around the World

If you live in the U.S. and are the parent of a gifted child, you may have given little thought to how parents in other countries cope with their gifted children and their education. In fact, you probably haven't even considered that there are gifted children elsewhere with the exception of foreign students who come to study at our universities. Hopefully, this post will open your eyes to the incredible resources that can be found outside the U.S. and inspire you to want to learn more.

Today, I want to discuss how people approach gifted education within their own countries. In the upcoming weeks, there will be conferences on giftedness in Al-Ahsa, Saudia Arabia and in Sydney, Austrailia. Also, there is a National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) in the U.K. The countries may be different, but the challenges are remarkably similar. The symposium in Saudia Arabia will focus on pre-school and early gifted education programs and identification practices. The Asia Pacific Conference will cover learning communities, dual exceptionality, curriculum, and advocacy among other topics. In addition to NAGC in Britain, a national Gifted Students Academy will open in September of this year. This program will work in conjunction with secondary schools offering enrichment opportunities, student workshops, and teacher training to name just a few of their objectives. The program is sponsored by a consortium of over 20 training companies and individuals.

Many countries have no policy on gifted education and devote little to no resources for educating gifted children. However, parents are working to raise awareness and to petition their governments and departments of education for assistance. They have utilized the Internet to find information and encouragement from parents around the world. These parents have found success in forming advocacy groups for their children.

Ultimately, the more parents continue to communicate and network using social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook, the more advances will be seen in gifted education. If you would like to share your experience in parenting or teaching gifted children, I encourage you to leave a comment here at my blog.