Abstract
How did you first get involved with gifted kids?
My advocacy for complex learners (a term I prefer over gifted) developed over a great many years. While many in the special needs community have already used the term, it ultimately defines any individuals who learn in ways that are atypical and layered and outside the realm of expected. Gifted students may rocket far ahead of others in certain studies, yet they may confuse adults as they leave their shoes untied or struggle with handwriting. Sometimes their maturity wows adults, and sometimes their immaturity does the same. Gifted children—like the term complex learner indicates—often contain a mixture of traits and contradictions. Some evidence suggests that those highest in ability and giftedness may be more likely to exhibit the contradictory behaviors associated with what is termed asynchronous development—a nonlinear nonneurotypical developmental trajectory starkly dissimilar to what is ordinarily understood as normal by those who study child development.
My involvement in advocacy began seriously when in 2009 I first approached Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG; http://sengifted.org), specifically to speak with Dr James Webb, the founder of this nonprofit gifted support organization. My background is as a pediatrician as well as a homeschool educator to a profoundly gifted child. I had heard a webinar with Dr Webb and Dr Rory Stern on the intensities of gifted children and how often these children may experience asynchronous development. I was already familiar with the 2005 book Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children and Adults in which Dr Webb is a coauthor. Prior to the webinar I had often referred to the book, having both seen the variable signs of giftedness in my child, in family members, and in patients over the years. As a pediatrician, I saw first-hand how both medical school and residency offered no specific training about gifted individuals. Many gifted individuals with intrinsic intensities and unique development—even some with actual special needs—were being misunderstood and improperly supported by education, medicine, and society.
Personally, my interests and involvement with giftedness goes way back to childhood. Am I gifted? I dare not say, because admitting so out loud is still seen as elitist by many people. But in retrospect, as a self-taught reader at age three, and a divergent thinker who excelled in school, perhaps I am. But even those criteria do not confirm giftedness. Many gifted are not high achievers. Many are not early readers. But without a doubt, all begin life as intense and passionately curious children, but perhaps only so long as they do not become jaded by life experiences. This is the issue with waiting until third grade to test for giftedness. By third grade, many educators are apt to say that “kids level out”. This may be true in some cases, but all too often, there are gifted children who just give up by third grade, choosing not to be motivated any longer by an unchallenging education, frustrated, and confused if they have twice exceptional (2e) issues, and recognizing that making friends is sometimes harder when one is different.
I will always remember that my early education, at a child-led progressive elementary school, allowed me the freedom to choose my coursework and work at my own level of ability, without barriers of age or grade level or even subject matter. But I was jolted back to reality when our family moved to another district with a rigid curriculum with no support for individuality or acceleration. Being held back in the new district and repeatedly criticized by educators for wanting to move forward was disturbing to my 10-year-old self. Being asked only to perform at age level was deadening. I suppose I was lucky, as I found my own creative ways outside school to challenge myself. Not all gifted children are so lucky. Many do give up, conform to expectations, and suffer with anxiety and depression. Some research says 67% of gifted children are bullied (http://www.purdue.edu/uns/html4ever/2006/060406.Peterson.bullies.html). Gifted children, as a result of their experiences, may also become perpetrators of bullying. When unsupported and unrecognized, growing up gifted may not be easy.
Only later would I understand the full significance of how a rigid curriculum or negative attitudes toward gifted students could manifest when I learned that another middle school classmate of mine in that same rigid district, a classmate whose path crossed with mine for only a very brief time, later turned out to be the inspiration that led to the formation of SENG. The intensity and isolation I perceived in this individual’s eyes were evident, but as a child myself (and extremely shy), I did not imagine the extent of their pain. For those unfamiliar with how SENG began, this organization came together when the parents of a gifted young man named Dallas Egbert, who committed suicide, sought help in 1980 in finding a program to help the social and emotional needs of gifted children. Their search brought them to Dr Webb. Soon thereafter, SENG began.
I suppose I became fully active in supporting the gifted only after my own child’s needs were unmet by educators and other professionals. A child who fully reads by age two, only to be made to continuously outline the letters of the alphabet at age five, while ultimately spending more time in the principal’s office than elsewhere is not having his/her social and emotional and educational needs appropriately met. I withdrew my child from kindergarten. It became apparent very early on that many professionals I encountered did not always understand nor support the unique needs of my child. Another trial in first grade confirmed my suspicions. I would then soon become an advocate and active practitioner of homeschooling and child-led learning.
What exactly is your involvement with SENG?
After my first conversation with Dr Webb in 2009, I thought further on how little my pediatric medical training prepared me for understanding and supporting gifted children. All I knew was the experience I brought with me from my own life. Developmental teaching was limited to identifying developmental delays, and even to this day the developmental screenings performed at office visits do not typically address any advanced abilities. As it is, according to an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) journal article, only about 23% of pediatricians follow standardized developmental screens, with the others using their own subjective clinical assessment if assessments are done at all (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Frances_Glascoe/publication/7749268_Pediatricians_reported_practices_regarding_developmental_screening_Do_guidelines_work_Do_they_help_Pediatrics_116(1)_174-179/links/559123f708ae1e1f9bae508d.pdf).
I recall one parent who brought her children to my practice after having left a previous pediatrician. Her children were profoundly gifted, and at my first appointment with her, she—having had poor experiences with other physicians—did not expect me to believe her. While I cannot recall her exact words, she conveyed immense frustrations at her prior interactions while still desperate (and rightly so) in her need to have her children understood and supported. Now that I’m a parent of a similar child, her emotions again deeply resonate.
Even at that time, I recognized her dissatisfaction. While it would be years before my own child would be born, the isolation of giftedness is one that isn’t unfamiliar. Pediatric health care professionals including pediatricians and family practitioners are in a pivotal position to offer life-changing support and understanding to these families. They are the first professionals who regularly see children and families from birth. They may see a child more than a dozen times before that child goes to school, and yearly after that. They are ideal partners who can work closely with educators to properly support these children.
Despite many phenomenally supportive physicians, psychologists, parents, and educators for these young gifted children, such support is not common. One obstacle is the competing myths of giftedness. Perhaps one of the most harmful myths is that gifted children need no help or recognition, as they will be successful on their own accord. Many gifted individuals do need help, some significantly, whether for a concomitant learning-related disability (i.e. dyslexia/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)/autism) or for a mental health issue (i.e. anxiety/depression). Accurately identifying the needs of these complex learners is the challenge.
Gifted myth also traverses all age groups. Even in the medical field, there are many gifted physicians. There are also a subset of these physicians who suffer with anxiety, depression, drug and alcohol abuse, suicide, and learning disabilities. Some of their issues may be directed related to feeling like outliers or having the intensities often associated with being gifted. Many hide their issues. Some hide symptoms for fear of job loss. Others hide as well, feeling that they can conquer their issues through the sheer power of their own minds. Some do not succeed.
I came to SENG to hopefully begin a dialogue connecting the gifted field to the medical field, with the goal of bringing about a clearer understanding of these complex learners. The data and research on gifted education is rich and extensive. This cannot be said of the intersection of giftedness and medical and mental health. My initial involvement in SENG was as a volunteer trying to develop with several SENG members a project to focus on outreach to health care professionals. During the course of this work—now known as the SENG Misdiagnosis Initiative (http://sengifted.org/programs/seng-misdiagnosis-initiative)—I began as a volunteer, then as a working board member, and finally as the current chair of the SENG Professional Advisory Committee. All along the way, I continue to work on the SENG Misdiagnosis Initiative.
Can you tell us more about the SENG Misdiagnosis Initiative and what it has accomplished?
After I connected with SENG, Dr Webb and I began discussing historical collaborations between the medical and gifted fields in supporting the needs of complex learners. My eyes were amazed by earlier work produced jointing by a team of psychologists, physicians, and social workers in what would be called the AAGC Task Force Report of 1985—Reaching Out to the Gifted Child: Roles for the Health Care Professions (http://sengifted.org/archives/articles/aagc-task-force-report).
What was astonishing was not simply the caliber of work and the broad expanse covered by this report, but the fact that in the time period between 1985 and the present, little if any progress had been made in actualizing the details to bring awareness to medical practice. The wish is that through the SENG Misdiagnosis Initiative, further awareness could be raised both nationally and globally on how health care providers can better serve gifted children.
The SENG Misdiagnosis Initiative continues to be a work in progress. Thus far, we’ve been successful in producing brochures—available for free on the Web page for download—on the complexities of gifted children and the risks of medical misdiagnosis. These brochures are already in three languages, with a fourth and fifth in discussions. We also provide a library of related articles, videos, and radio interviews on this subject. We have been successful in encouraging the AAP to permit the topic of the gifted child to be presented at their National Meeting – the first in 2011, and again this year, 2016.
We’re delighted to have Dr Dan Peters, a frequent SENG Conference speaker and clinical psychologist at the California Summit Center (a center devoted exclusively to gifted and 2e children), to speak this year as our representative. The session, to be presented twice, is entitled Gifted Children: Misunderstood, Mislabeled, and Misdiagnosed.
The initiative also produced a set of bookmarks for parents and health care professionals containing a selection of gifted-related books and gifted support organizations for easy reference. Print versions of the English language brochures and bookmarks have already been distributed to many medical practices and schools. We are currently working on an article for journal publication involving a large parent survey conducted by our group. I also was recently honored to be the guest on the weekly Global GTchat twitterchat (https://globalgtchatpoweredbytagt.wordpress.com/2016/02/21/discussing-giftedness-with-healthcare-providers-with-guest-dr-marianne-kuzujanakis/) for the topic “Discussing Giftedness With Healthcare Providers”.
Word of mouth and social media exposure continue to be the most effective ways to communicate the issues and raise consciousness about the goals of the initiative. For my part, I write several gifted-related articles for the Huffington Post (e.g. “The Misunderstood Face of Giftedness” [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marianne-kuzujanakis/gifted-children_b_2948258.html]) as well as articles on my personal blog (http://kuzujanakis.com/category/gifted-advocacy/). I also very much appreciate the opportunity to speak about these issues on Education News.
Finally, while not directly related to the actual SENG Misdiagnosis Initiative, though directly instrumental in its existence, the much-anticipated updated second edition of the previously mentioned Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis book is planned for release later in 2016.
What do you see as the main emotional needs of gifted children and adolescents?
One word: understanding. In another word: acceptance. Both are essential to fully integrating with all of society. Many may believe that the gifted already have so much and that it’s elitist to suggest more is needed. But this perception is far from reality.
We can work endlessly helping society understand these children, but unless they are embraced for who they are—not what they do—they will continue to be seen as oddities, curiosities, and rarities. It isn’t a surprise that the gifted are one of the last remaining subgroups to be repeatedly stereotyped by media in books, TV programs, and elsewhere.
Many people enjoy programs like The Big Bang, and I admit to watching it from time to time myself, but even those characters portray the stereotyped geeky, socially inept, brilliant people who the media has long held as the image of gifted—much like the court jesters of old England. If not the jesters, than the brittle gifted, suffering with mental health issues, such as portrayed in A Brilliant Mind. In truth, the gifted may be all these things, or none of these things.
The gifted comprise between 5% and 10% of the population of children. That’s large enough to be comparable to the proportion of children with asthma or learning disabilities. Many of the gifted are remarkable, compassionate, innovative people who contribute much to society. But not all gifted are high achievers, and many fail in ordinary classroom settings. Many of the gifted are not always accepted for who they are by others due to their intrinsic qualities (e.g. asynchronous development, Dabrowski’s overexcitabilties) or extrinsic qualities (e.g. special needs including autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, dyslexia). This lack of understanding and acceptance then leads them to be misunderstood, feeling both incapable and broken inside.
There may be nothing more powerful than to feel accepted by a community. If there were one specific social and emotional need, it would be this community acceptance.
Research has shown that one of the most important keys to happiness is our personal relationships in the world (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2016/03/02/harvard-researchers-discovered-the-one-thing-everyone-needs-for-happier-healthier-lives/?postshare=1351456971275041&tid=ss_tw). We see this playing out in tragic ways when isolated individuals violently take out their frustrations on themselves, or others.
Humans are social animals, and while people do not need large groups of people to embrace who they are, they need at least a few who are unconditional in their support and friendship and love. Many gifted, particularly those at the highest levels of giftedness, have reported that growing up was a difficult experience of loneliness and bullying. The lucky ones with support and recognition traverse these years with more confidence and a lesser degree of anxiety. Adequate data about success in transitioning to adulthood is limited by data that typically only follows those children “identified” as gifted in gifted classrooms. Many gifted are never identified, due to 2e concerns or behavioral issues that keep them out of gifted classrooms, and the success data are less positive and more sparse. Many districts do not even identify gifted at all, choosing to follow the adage that all children are gifted, and thus all children receive the same education. It becomes a question of equality versus equity.
Children of any ability deserve an education that challenges them to grow outside of their comfort zone. Only then is education real. Many gifted go through their entire education never being challenged. Straight As doesn’t mean a child has been successful. Straight As may indicate that education has failed them.
What in your mind, do parents need to be aware of in terms of gifted kids?
The myths of giftedness have long driven stereotypes into our collective consciousness. Fortunately, grassroots efforts have recently grown to embrace diverse thinkers, whether it is those with autism (Dr Temple Grandin’s remarkable body of work, as well as Steve Silverman’s Neurotribes), of those who simply are out-of-the-box thinkers (Adam Grant’s Originals), exceptional children of all types (Andrew Solomon’s Far From The Tree) and those with highly creative minds (Scott Barry Kaufman’s Wired To Create).
The rise in the medicalization of childhood in the past decade or more and the severe difficulties within the education system in this same time frame has led many to begin flipping the past perceptions of difference as a weakness into difference as a strength. There is also a positive movement growing that addresses the “whole child model” (http://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/wscc/wsccmodel_update_508tagged.pdf), thereby embracing all facets in developmental differences and human uniqueness.
Gifted children and adolescents do perceive the world differently. Yet each is an individual with his/her own talents and interests. There is a saying within the special needs autism community, by Dr Temple Grandin, of “If you’ve seen one person with autism, you’ve seen one person with autism.” This is often the case with the gifted. While those who are gifted may share similar challenges, their personalities, interests, and developmental paths can all diverge. Some may follow fulfilling educational paths, while others struggle to satisfy their basic interests. Some are introverted, whereas others are highly social. Some sit in special education classes with identified weaknesses, without ever being recognized for their strengths. Some are never recognized and supported for their special needs. The degree of giftedness and level of ability also greatly impacts many aspects of the individual’s life, both positively and negatively.
A quote in a recent The New York Times article about prodigies sadly adhered to many of the gifted stereotypes. That quote stated “Whether a child is ‘officially’ a prodigy has little impact on his/her life. Parents don’t typically seek treatment for a child because he/she is achieving too much” (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/opinion/sunday/what-prodigies-could-teach-us-about-autism.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-left-region®ion=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region).
Still, it is said that when a group of gifted children come together, they recognize that giftedness in each other. This recognition is an almost unspoken energy that serves to help them find other kindred spirits. Some parents report that sending their child to a gifted summer camp or conference is the highlight of a child’s entire year. Gifted adults also see this energy in other gifted adults—a place of refuge for some in a world that is at times filled with confusion or disappointment.
Parents need to be aware that each child—even in a single family—is an individual with specific passions and strengths. These children may also have lagging skills or concomitant medical or mental health issues. They may be a successful student or not. Performing poorly does not negate their giftedness; just as performing well does not always indicate giftedness or a good educational fit. Learning as much as possible about indicators of giftedness can help parents overcome learned myths of these children and provide proper support and advocacy for them. Organizations like SENG as well as the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC; http://www.nagc.org) are good starting points to find much information.
Global question, overall, how well do you think the schools are servicing gifted children in terms of their counseling needs?
I think many schools are doing the very best they can to provide counseling and educational support to their school’s gifted population. Some are doing remarkable jobs. Many teachers are knowledgeable, dedicated, and fighting for these kids with whatever resources their districts allow. But for every school doing a stellar job, there are many gifted children left behind. Schools and educators may not always understand the unique needs of the complex learners, and even if they do, they cannot accommodate them in classrooms that may not offer pullout programs, acceleration, accommodation for 2e needs, curriculum compacting, specialized programming, or even accurate identification and teacher training. It’s a huge responsibility!
Gifted myths also play a major role in the identification of gifted students, and a 2e student or an underachieving one may not be recognized as gifted. Race, ethnicity, socioeconomic level, and gender also play significant roles in whether a student will be recognized or overlooked as gifted.
Schools today are overwhelmed. They have many obligations to satisfy, especially in the public school systems. Schools must juggle roles of educator, parent, counselor, friend, and sadly sometimes even warden. Gifted children, due to gifted myths, are often typecast as the students who will do well even without help, so in a chaotic educational system, many are left to fend for themselves. Many districts thus are without programs for gifted students. Private schools may sometimes offer more challenging coursework, but even then if a child has 2e issues or is behaviorally asynchronous or simply “too gifted”, some private schools deny entry or offer no real support. The lack of teacher training is a huge issue in supporting gifted, as only one state (Nevada; http://www.nagc.org/sites/default/files/key%20reports/2014-2015%20State%20of%20the%20Nation.pdf) requires all educators to receive training about gifted students.
Training all educators—not just gifted educators—is important because many unrecognized gifted students will be found only in regular classrooms and many schools do not even have gifted classrooms.
If a professional (educator, counselor, psychologist, physician) is unaware of the complex traits that could indicate giftedness, the chance that these children will be properly served is dramatically lessened. Like educators, these other professionals working with children (and some even providing testing for gifted classrooms) also may not all be adequately trained about these complex learners.
Of course, no one group is at fault. The field of giftedness is long and rich with research. However, to this day there is no absolute definition for gifted. There are many definitions, many organizations, and many countries, states, and districts all with their own unique definitions. Intelligence quotient tests come close to defining gifted, but they have exceptions and cannot test more abstract and emotional parameters. Other concepts like creativity, drive, nonlinear learning, divergent thinking, Dabrowski’s over-excitabilities, aptitude, and peer comparisons are all attempts to qualify and quantify giftedness. The NAGC has a good article entitled “What is Giftedness?” (http://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources/definitions-giftedness).
The SENG Misdiagnosis Initiative brochures try to pull together information from many different areas of research as a first step toward understanding.
The more recognition about these complex learners, and the more society accepts them in the classroom and elsewhere, the more the definitions themselves don’t really matter. What matters is that each child is accepted for who they are, what passions they have, and where they are at in their development. The ultimate goal is for the gifted student to have the freedom to pursue an education without ceilings or floors, with no grade levels or closed doors, and with no socioeconomic barriers or calls of elitism.
The one-room schoolhouse comes to mind, and many gifted families have taken this to heart by pursuing homeschool or gifted coop educations. Some families have even started their own schools without ceilings. Realistically, this isn’t a pursuit all families can afford in terms of time and income loss. I have always considered my ability to homeschool my child as a privilege. What is exciting is that little by little there is evidence of the positive influences of homeschool entering the traditional school systems. Virtual courses. Competency learning. Student choice. These changes are likely to be a win–win for not just the gifted, but for all children of all abilities.
What is the single most relevant question you are asked about gifted kids?
I suppose I don’t think of any question as irrelevant when it comes to the challenges faced by parents with gifted children and adults who work with these children. The questions are typically wide-ranging.
Am I doing enough for my child? Is it normal to be afraid that I’m not doing enough? What can I do about the intense emotions in not just my child, but in myself? I only realized about my own giftedness when my child was young—is this a common feeling?
Should I homeschool? Should I consider early college? What about making friends? I worry about my child being bullied in school like I was—what can I do to prevent it? When should I test my child for giftedness? Where can I find a doctor or psychologist who understands? I need information: are there parent groups and books that can help? I fear that raising a gifted child will cost far more than I can afford— what can I do? My child is wonderful at home but teachers tell me he needs to see a doctor for his behavior—can he really have ADHD?
My child struggles with writing and the teacher won’t allow him in the gifted class—can anyone help? My child seems so anxious: what can I do that doesn’t involve medication? My daughter can’t remember to clean up her room if her life depended upon it—why do they say she’s gifted? My child won’t speak up in class, so the school doesn’t know she’s gifted: how can I explain this to the teachers without offending them? The noise, colors, and lights in the classroom are so distracting to my child: is there anything that I can do to help?
My child is bored but my school doesn’t allow acceleration: Is there information and research that can convince them that my child is suffering in the class he’s in? My child needs to move to think but the school won’t allow it—they hint that he must have ADHD—what to do? My child worries a lot about world hunger and death: is this normal? I feel like I can’t share my child’s successes with even my closest friends—why are gifted children and families so stigmatized?
My child wants to read big kid books, but those books have emotions that are often dark and scary—are there books that are good choices for sensitive readers? I have two children—one gifted, one with autism—I hear that others families also do—is this common? We talk a lot about gifted kids, but as an adult, I still struggle: are there support groups for us? My child wants to know about world events, but I can’t let him watch the news because of all the violence and hurtful ways humans treat others—is it wrong to shield my sensitive gifted child? The emotion that hurts me most to see in my child is the loneliness: how can I help find others like her? I worry about suicide and self-harm: are gifted children at risk?
The questions are endless and will continue as long as there persists inadequate support for the gifted.
Tell us more about your interests with gifted kids.
I have been a longtime homeschool educator for my profoundly gifted son. We are now in our 11th year, and he is soon to complete his K-12 experience. Unlike some families with profoundly gifted children, we actively chose a path that allowed freedom without acceleration to early college. I follow a child-led learning philosophy, in which the curriculum is completely interest based, and independent. Some call it unschooling, though the name is a bit of a misnomer, because so much learning is taking place in an environment when there are no limits. I act as a facilitator, listening for opportunities, for classes in his interest areas, and for any requests. He now also finds his own courses.
Homeschooling has increased across the United States, amounting to almost 3% of the student population and rising faster than other avenues of K12 education. Many gifted children homeschool, and there are many parental support groups for those interested. Families are seeking a more rigorous education that does not limit students based upon age or socioeconomic class. With the growth of online educational opportunities in the recent years, obtaining a rigorous independent education has become easier. In addition, some gifted children have special needs, and for many of those children, traditional schools may prohibit them from receiving both special need support and gifted education support. It’s often either one or the other.
With the extensive amount of research behind the benefits of acceleration for gifted students (A Nation Deceived and A Nation Empowered; http://www.accelerationinstitute.org/nation_empowered/), it may be the most cost-effective and beneficial option within the school systems. For those who homeschool or afterschool, many online classes and coursework are available that directly support the education of gifted students. These are in addition to the massive growth of college-level MOOCs. Choices are endless. I enjoy frequently sharing information with parents of gifted children on all the available educational options. I have seen that if the educational needs of a gifted child are satisfied, and peer groups are based more upon interests rather than age, many of the difficulties of growing up are minimized.
However, with the lifelong intensities of Dabrowski’s overexcitabilities (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marianne-kuzujanakis/the-intensities-of-gifted_b_8134926.html) that many gifted individuals experience, fitting in may be a goal that takes a lifetime to achieve. Those with 2e issues also have struggles to overcome. Many gifted children are frequently fighting battles that to others appear invisible. Perhaps someday, with continued advocacy by parents, educators, clinicians, and others, these battles will be ones that can be won.
What have I neglected to ask?
One area of health care that is beginning to grow in awareness is the effect of toxic stress and early childhood adversity on children (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/129/1/e224.full.pdf). Toxic stress and adversity (abuse, neglect, bullying, discrimination, poverty, fear of violence, and maltreatment of all types) can cause lifelong difficulties and lead to a variety of significant physical and mental health concerns.
Gifted complex learners are not immune to toxic stress in their lives, whether growing up in a neglectful household, living in poverty, being repeatedly bullied at school by peers or teachers, or discriminated against by both. It is crucial to protect children’s physical health as well as their social and emotional health. Much more effort is needed to assure that gifted children all have their social and emotional needs met. Gifted adults have often spoken about the many difficulties they faced as young students in school. Schools need to be a safe haven for all children. In today’s environment, safe havens can sometimes be hard to find. It’s time for society to stand up, be committed, and put all children first. Children deserve no less than that!