| One of my main areas of interest is working with individuals, families and children who are gifted or 2e (twice-exceptional). The term "2e" is used to describe anyone who is gifted who also has one or more other learning differences.
While there are many different definitions of giftedness, the one I prefer is the following (taken from the website www.hoagiesgifted.com): "Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive
abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and
awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony
increases with higher intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted
renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting,
teaching and counseling in order for them to develop optimally." The
Columbus Group, 1991, cited by Martha Morelock, "Giftedness: The View from Within",
in
Understanding Our Gifted, January 1992
Giftedness is accompanied by a set of both internal and external differences. Asynchronous development is growing at different rates in different aspects of the self -- cognitive, emotional, spiritual, existential. The differences within can cause issues of frustration, perfectionism and low self-esteem. The external differences, the ones that make gifted individuals different from their neurotypical peers, can lead to difficulties in forming satisfying social relationships. When there are additional learning differences, there are even more hurdles to confront.
I work with adults, children and families to discover ways to become comfortable with all of the aspects of being gifted. Some of the strategies and approaches I use include:
-Supporting parents seeking more effective ways of parenting their challenging children
-Collaboration
with school personnel to develop appropriate accommodations
-Assisting
parents to create and work with a team of professionals
-Talk
therapy to address existential, spiritual and mood-related concerns
-Bibliotherapy
and educational approaches
-Cognitve-Behavioral
interventions to target specific areas for change
For more information about giftedness, check out the following websites:
I "get gifted", and I help gifted individuals and their families find solutions for their problems. If you want to know more, or are wondering if working with me will be a good fit, feel free to contact me with questions at mikag@pacbell.net, or call for a free consultation, 408-375-9635.
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