November 2008

Contents

Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask First

Resources for Bringing the Arts into the Classroom

Sally Smith –  Teaching the “Unteachable” through Arts Integration

Interview with Mark Jarvis, a Lab School Teacher

Integrating the Arts into the Curriculum for Gifted Students

Using Collaborative Problem Solving to Address Developmental Delays in Gifted Children

A Call for Research Data

NAGC 2008 Coverage −  Twice-Exceptional Learners: 
What They Need in Order to Thrive

Book Review – Twice-Exceptional 
Kids

Book Review – The Kids' Book Club

Column: Dear Dr. Sylvia

Perspective in the News

Parents' Perspective: The Arts and Children Who Think Outside the Box: A Perfect Fit

Events

Only on the Web

Additional NAGC 2008 Conference Coverage: RTI Intervention for Twice-Exceptional Learners  

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Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask First, by Kristin B. Berman, Ph.D.

Oxygen! Without it, there would be no life. Is it exaggeration to use this essential element as a metaphor for arts?  Continued

Resources for Bringing the Arts into the Classroom

A variety of resources are available to help integrate arts into the curriculum. Here are some of the books, articles, and links.  Continued

Sally Smith – Teaching the “Unteachable” through Arts Integration, by Linda C. Neumann

If you want to see arts integration in action, maybe the place to go is The Lab School in Washington , D.C. , a private day school for students from kindergarten through high school.  Continued.

Interview with Mark Jarvis, a Lab School Teacher

Mark Jarvis is an artist turned special education teacher who has been at the Lab School for 15 years. He shares his experiences there with 2e Newsletter in this edited interview.  Continued

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Integrating the Arts into the Curriculum for Gifted Students, by Joan Franklin Smutny

Studies have shown that the arts can significantly advance gifted students’ academic and creative abilities and cognitive functioning. This is a strong rationale for making the arts an essential feature of gifted education.  Continued

Using Collaborative Problem Solving to Address Developmental Delays in Gifted Children, by Beth Houskamp, Ph.D., Katarina Radisavljevic, M.A. and Laura McDonald, M.A.

Knowing what’s best for our children in all instances can be a difficult and overwhelming task. It can be even more so with twice-exceptional (2e) children.  Continued

A Call for Research Data

Beth Houskamp, Ph.D., is looking for data on twice-exceptional children. She explains the research she is conducting at Azusa Pacific University....  Continued

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September (Issue 30)

September 2008

Contents

Why is it So Difficult to Get Treatment for Language Disorders?

The Work of a Speech- Language Pathologist  

Understanding Language Disorders in Children

AD/HD or Intensities of Giftedness

Assessing Gifted Children with AD/HD, Part 1: The Need for Assessment

SENG 2008 Coverage − Finding Common Ground: 
Developing Relationships between Parents and Educators

SENG 2008 Coverage − Navigating the 2e Challenge: Strategies for Secondary Success

Book Review – When the Labels Don’t Fit

Column: Dear Dr. Sylvia

Column: Bob Seney on Books

Events

Only on the Web

Conference Coverage: SENG 2008 

Article Previews

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Why is it So Difficult to Get Treatment for Language Disorders?, by Sarah Wayland

I have two smart children who struggle to talk and understand spoken language. Despite their documented disabilities, it can be quite difficult to get them the treatment they need.  Continued

The Work of a Speech-Language Pathologist

2e Newsletter conducted an interview with speech-language pathologist Maria Dixon to find out what services this type of professional provides to children with language disorders.  Continued

July (Issue 29)

July 2008

Contents

Anxiety in 2e Kids

Depression: Did You Know?

Suicide: Did You Know?

A Positive Approach to Change in 2e Families

The Educators Guild

Raising My Bipolar, Gifted Son

Recommended Bipolar Resources from Marcia McKinley

AEGUS Coverage − Learning Outside the Lines: Understanding Gifted Students who Think Differently

AEGUS Coverage − Characteristics and Interventions for Gifted Students with Asperger Syndrome

2e Newsletter Blog

Smart but Stuck, A Talk by Author Myrna Orenstein, Ph.D.

Column: Dear Dr. Sylvia

Column: Bob Seney on Books

Parents' Perspective

Events

Conference Coverage: AEGUS 2008

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Anxiety in 2e Kids

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, anxiety disorders are among the most common mental, emotional, and behavioral problems during childhood and adolescence.  Continued

Depression: Did You Know?

Facts about depression in children and teens  Continued

Suicide: Did You Know?

Facts about suicide in children and teens  Continued

A Positive Approach to Change in 2e Families, by Linda Powers Leviton

In the words of therapist Virginia Satir, “All parents are the best parents they know how to be.” We all want to believe that our parents loved us. Yet, when faced with their shortcomings and human failings, some of which might have really hurt our ability to grow and feel good about ourselves, we can’t help but have some doubts. Continued

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The Educators Guild

Would you like to have a free consultant that you could call on when you need help coming up with lesson plan ideas or figuring out differentiation strategies for your gifted or 2e students? You do, or at least you would, if you were a member of the Davidson Institute’s Educators Guild.  Continued

Raising My Bipolar, Gifted Son, by Marcia McKinley

Nathan’s dad and I knew our son was gifted almost from the time that he was born. At three months old, when he was fussy, we calmed him not by rocking and singing but by counting.   Continued

Recommended Bipolar Resources from Marcia McKinley

A listing of books and other resources  Continued

AEGUS Coverage − Learning Outside the Lines: Understanding Gifted Students who Think Differently

Among the speakers at the 2008 AEGUS conference in April was Jonathan Mooney, author of The Short Bus and co-author of Learning Outside the Lines.  Continued

AEGUS Coverage − Characteristics and Interventions for Gifted Students with Asperger Syndrome

Listening to two experienced presenters talk about Aspie kids was certainly worthwhile, but it was the videos in the Baldwin and Busby session that really had an impact. Busby and her husband Greg recorded interviews both with gifted young students who have Asperger Syndrome and with those who raise and teach the students.   Continued

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2e Newsletter Blog

Now you can read all about it − well, before you read all about it in the newsletter or the briefing. We’ve established a blog and are posting items and news of interest on a weekly basis. View entire article...

Smart but Stuck, A Talk by Author Myrna Orenstein, Ph.D.

On May 20, 2008, psychotherapist Myrna Orenstein was the featured speaker at a monthly gathering of In Touch, a group of high school educators, parents, and community mental health professionals that meets in the western suburbs of Chicago. Her topic, and the focus of her work, are “smart people with LDs.”  Continued.

Column: Dear Dr. Sylvia

How can an aunt help steer a bright nephew away from unacceptable behavior and underachievement? Find out what Dr. Sylvia Rimm has to say. View entire article...

Column: Bob Seney on Books – Must-Read: The London Eye Mystery

Well, it happened again! In a matter of less than a week, I received four recommendations for a “Must Read” book, so I ordered a copy. Upon its arrival, I immediately set down and began to read Siobhan Dowd’s The London Eye Mystery. View entire article...

Parents' Perspective: “I Am A Crazy Rabid Squirrel. I Want My Cookies!” by Sarah Garrison

As part of his Tourette Syndrome, my son Origami has what our family calls “extreme echolalia,” and what his therapist calls “re-enactment mode.” Whatever you call it, when Origami’s brain is on autopilot, he tends to fill dead air with full-fledged, accurate re-enactments of some book or movie he recently read or enjoyed.  View entire article...

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May 2008

Contents

The Challenges of Parenting and Educating a Gifted Child with OCD

Understanding OCD in Children

Accommodations for Students with OCD

Resources for Dealing with OCD

State of Idaho Develops 2e Manual, Training

An Invitation to SENG’s 25th Anniversary Conference

Twice-Exceptional Awareness Week

Esther Sinclair, Training Medical and Law Students in Educational Advocacy

Book Review – Understanding Your Child's Puzzling Behavior

AEGUS 2008 in California −April
4 - 6

AEGUS Coverage − Finding the Keys

AEGUS Coverage − Life Between Two Worlds

Summer Camp for Your Kid?

The Special Needs Project

Column: Dear Dr. Sylvia

Column: Bob Seney on Books

Parents' Perspective

Events

Conference Coverage: AEGUS 2008

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The Challenges of Parenting and Educating a Gifted Child with OCD, by Kathryn Wingrove

Parenting a gifted (higher than normal IQ) child is difficult enough, but parenting a gifted child who has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be overwhelming. One reason is the lack of information about this combination.  Continued

Understanding OCD in Children

Questions and answers about obsessive-compulsive disorder   Continued

Accommodations for Students with OCD

Suggested classroom accommodations that can help students with OCD  Continued.

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Resources for Dealing with OCD

A listing of websites, books, and other resources  Continued

State of Idaho Develops 2e Manual, Training, by J. Mark Bade

The Idaho State Department of Education is funding and participating in the development of a resource guide for those in the state who teach, raise, and counsel twice-exceptional students, according to Val Schorzman, Gifted/Talented Coordinator for the Department.  Continued

An Invitation to SENG’s 25th Anniversary Conference, by Linda C. Neumann, 2e Newsletter Editor and Member of the SENG Board of Directors

SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) is planning a celebration and you’re invited! The event is in honor of the organization’s 25th anniversary and takes place in Salt Lake City, Utah, from July 18 through 20. View entire article...

Twice-Exceptional Awareness Week

Got a cause? There’s probably been a month, a week, or a day declared for it – like National Heart Month, for example. Now, thanks to Beth Busby, the city of Colorado Springs has “Twice-Exceptional Awareness Week.”  Continued

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Esther Sinclair, Training Medical and Law Students in Educational Advocacy

Esther Sinclair, PhD, is a licensed educational psychologist and a faculty member at UCLA. Her area of specialty is advocating for appropriate education for children with special needs, including gifted and twice-exceptional children.  Continued

Book Review – Understanding Your Child's Puzzling Behavior: A Guide for Parents of Children with Behavioral, Social, and Learning Challenges, reviewed by Linda C. Neumann

In his new book, Understanding Your Child’s Puzzling Behavior, licensed child clinical psychologist Steven Curtis issues this caution: Be wary of quick answers and quick fixes when looking for the cause of a child’s puzzling behavior.  Continued

AEGUS 2008 in California −April 4 - 6

The Association for the Education of Gifted Underachieving Students (AEGUS) sponsored their annual conference at the Universal City Hilton.  Continued

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AEGUS Coverage − Finding the Keys: Meeting the Challenges of Advocating for and Supporting the Twice-Exceptional Child

Elizabeth Abeel began her AEGUS session with a demonstration....The point she was making? Don’t underestimate the need for people to do things in their own way rather than the way we think they should.  Continued

AEGUS Coverage − Life Between Two Worlds: The Social and Emotional Experience of the 2e Child

As a young woman who grew up with extreme strengths and extreme deficits, Samantha Abeel had many personal experiences to share with the audience during her AEGUS session.  Continued

Summer Camp for Your Kid?

While kids are getting antsy in anticipation of those long weeks of freedom ahead, parents may be getting frantic wondering how to keep them happily occupied during the summer months. If you’re still searching for a summer camp or program, here are some camps to consider and some resources that might help.  Continued

The Special Needs Project

Searching for information on a particular disability? Try the Special Needs Project. This online bookstore specializes in developmental disabilities – “everything,” a statement on the website says, “from mental to physical disabilities.”  Continued

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Column: Dear Dr. Sylvia

What to do about a distracted, disorganized son? Find out what Dr. Sylvia Rimm has to say. View entire article...

Column: Bob Seney on Books – Percy Jackson and the Olympians

In my last column, we visited a new and extremely fun series of books: Rick Riordan‘s Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I think that Riordan, a San Antonio author and father of children with learning disabilities, really has something going here. View entire article...

Parents' Perspective: Life in a Gifted, OCD Family

You might say that Monica has some experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). She’s raised two boys, one with OCD and Tourette’s Syndrome, the other profoundly gifted with OCD. Plus, her former husband has OCD as well. View entire article...

Reader’s Letter on California Homeschooling

In the Parents’ Perspective column in our March/April issue, Joan Affenit cprovided her point of view on the placement dilemma confronting families with 2e kids. Then, homeschooler and Director of the Gifted Homeschoolers Forum Corin Barsily Goodwin checked in with her views on the matter. Read Goodwin’s take on California’s judicial and legislative situation and Affenit’s response.  Continued

I Believe but Cannot Prove..., by Alison Gopnik

I believe, but cannot prove, that babies and young children are actually more conscious, more vividly aware of their external world and internal life, than adults are. I believe this because there is strong evidence for a functional trade-off with development.   Continued

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March 2008

Contents

The Gifted Student with AD/HD

Study on AD/HD Brain Maturation Raises Questions

Boredom: A Surpisingly Interesting Subject

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children IV

The WISC-IV, NAGC, and 2e

Interview: Dennis Higgins

The Achilles Project, a Program for 2e College Students

In the News

Resource: The Book Expert Approaches to Support Gifted Learners

Column: Dear Dr. Sylvia

Parents' Perspective

Events

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The Gifted Student with AD/HD, by Carol Watkins, M.D.

The gifted child or adolescent with AD/HD may not fit classical definitions of educationally handicapped or gifted. On one hand, he may be able to use his skills to cover up the AD/HD and, thus, never receive help or guidance. On the other hand, he may be doubly handicapped, the minority within a minority who cannot fit into either accelerated classes or special education settings.  Continued

Study on AD/HD Brain Maturation Raises Questions

Last November the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health announced the results of a brain imaging study. The study compared the brain maturation process in children with AD/HD and those without AD/HD. The study concluded that in AD/HD kids the brain matures in a normal pattern, just delayed by an average of three years, depending on the region of the brain. The measure of development was the peak thickness of the cortex; after this peak, the cortex thins as the child grows toward adulthood.  Continued

Boredom: A Surprisingly Interesting Subject, by Aimee Yermish

“I hate this – it’s so boring!” When a gifted kid isn’t doing well in school, or in any activity, this cry for help is frequently among the first ones we hear.  Continued 

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children IV

The fourth edition of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) is appropriate for use as an intelligence test and a diagnostic tool with children from 6 years of age to almost 17 years of age...   Continued 

The WISC-IV, NAGC, and 2e, by Linda Kreger Silverman, Ph.D.

On January 23, 2008, the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) posted a position statement titled “Use of the WISC-IV for Gifted Identification.” This position statement will greatly benefit 2e children. Essentially, the position statement recommends that the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) or the Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI) or the General Ability Index (GAI) be considered equivalent with the Full Scale IQ score in selecting students for gifted programs.

Continued

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Interview with Dennis Higgins

Many readers who attend conferences on gifted or 2e topics have had the chance to hear Dennis Higgins speak. In the spring of 2007, Higgins was named one of seven winners of a Golden Apple Award in New Mexico. What’s special to us is that Higgins teaches the only program for 2e students in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, public schools (the 27^th largest school district in the United States), accepting students from across the district. Continued 

The Achilles Project, a Program for 2e College Students, by Wendy Eisner, Ph.D.

Beginning in the spring of 2007, twice-exceptional students at New York’s Nassau Community College (NCC) became eligible to participate in The Achilles Project. This post-secondary educational program was created by NCC’s 2e Initiative Task Force, a College-wide collaborative effort among administrators and faculty. Continued

An Interview with Wendy Eisner about the Achilles Project

Q: How did you come up with the idea to start the Achilles Project?

A: I think that Achilles emerged at the nexus of my various roles in life. First, I am the parent of a twice-exceptional child...  Continued

In the News: Wired Magazine's "Difference Model" for Autism

Do we celebrate and accept one group’s differences from others’, or do we pathologize them? It’s a question you could apply to many conditions – AD/HD, visual/spatial learning, arguably even giftedness – but today some scientists say that pathologizing may be the wrong way to view autistics. Continued

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Resource: The Book Expert Approaches to Support Gifted Learners

As one might expect, the California Association for the Gifted does things in a big way.  Continued

Column: Dear Dr. Sylvia

Find out what Dr. Sylvia Rimm has to say to the parent of a gifted, underachieving boy with AD/HD. View entire article...

Parents' Perspective: The Placement Perspective, by Joan Affenit

This column offers a parent’s perspective. Columnists rotate, each giving their perspective on raising twice-exceptional children. In this issue Joan Affenit describes the choices facing her family regarding schooling.  View entire article...

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January 2008

Contents

Individual Differences in Learning Association

IDL Professional Development Training

Professional Development and 2e

Learning About 2e

Website review: The Homeschool Diner

NAGC Coverage − Are Traditional High Schools Toxic to Sensitive, Creative Kids?

NAGC Coverage − The Forgotten Few: Meeting the Needs of African-American Twice-exceptional Learners

NAGC Coverage − Bullies and the Brain: What Parents Need to Know about Bullying and Their Gifted Child

NAGC Coverage − Celebrate the Differences: Creating Understanding, Support, and Advocacy for Your Twice-Exceptional Child

Nominate a Valentine

“Head and Heart:” 2007 VAGTC Biennial Conference Coverage − Gifted Self-efficacy

Bridges Academy and AEGUS Announce 2008 Conference

Column: Dear Dr. Sylvia

Column: Bob Seney on Books

Parents' Perspective

Events

Only on the Web

More Coverage from the
2007 NAGC Convention

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Individual Differences in Learning Association

In 2001 a small group of parents in Howard County, Maryland, came together out of concern for their children – kids who they saw as having specific gifts and talents but who also had educational and social challenges. The parents felt that there was an urgent need for teacher training and research-based interventions for these “different learners.”  Continued

IDL Professional Development Training

Try this quiz to see how your answers stack up against the research on homework.  Continued

Professional Development and 2e, by Carol V. Horn, Ed.D.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in Virginia has made concerted efforts in the past several years to raise teacher, parent, and student awareness of the learning profiles and needs of twice-exceptional (2e) students. Continued 

Learning About 2e, by Linda C. Neumann

Those who raise and teach twice-exceptional kids are on a common quest – a quest for knowledge. They know that this formula is true: 2e = 3R. The meaning? Understanding twice-exceptional kids takes three times the research – learning about giftedness, learning about learning disabilities/differences, and learning about the combination of the two. Continued

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Website review: The Homeschool Diner, by J. Mark Bade

The welcome page of the Homeschool Diner says it all: “Homeschooling resources – served up with a smile! Here at the Homeschool Diner, you’ll find a full menu of articles, curriculum ideas, and links to online resources. Continued 

NAGC Coverage − Are Traditional High Schools Toxic to Sensitive, Creative Kids?

In this session speakers Bonnie Cramond and Rebecca Nordin presented the findings of a research team that has spent the last year interviewing bright students who have dropped out of high school.  Continued

NAGC Coverage − The Forgotten Few: Meeting the Needs of African-American Twice-exceptional Learners

SaDohl Goldsmith opened her NAGC session with an observation. She noted that while there’s now a growing body of literature on twice-exceptional (2e) students in general, very little of it focuses on African-American 2e students, or on those who have emotional and behavior disturbances. Continued

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NAGC Coverage − Bullies and the Brain: What Parents Need to Know about Bullying and Their Gifted Child

In this NAGC session presenter Keri Guilbault shared her experiences as both a gifted/talented teacher and as a bullying specialist. At a large school district in Florida, she implemented a bullying prevention program and saw it change the culture and climate in the schools. Continued

NAGC Coverage − Celebrate the Differences: Creating Understanding, Support, and Advocacy for Your Twice-Exceptional Child

At the beginning of her session, presenter Cathy Risberg polled the audience to find out whether parents were ready to actually celebrate their 2e children’s differences. Most, it turned out, were not. Continued

Nominate a Valentine

The national organization SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) urges you to honor an educator who is truly making a difference in the life of a gifted individual. The organization has established a recognition program called The SENG Honor Roll. Continued

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“Head and Heart:” 2007 VAGTC Biennial Conference Coverage − Gifted Self-efficacy, covered by Sarah Tuckerman

Claire Spicer, a dynamic and enthusiastic advocate for gifted children, provided an energizing workshop on gifted self-efficacy in the final session of the VAGTC Conference in Melbourne. Continued

Bridges Academy and AEGUS Announce 2008 Conference

Bridges Academy in Studio City, California, and the Association for the Education of Gifted Underachieving Students (AEGUS) have announced details of the 2008 AEGUS conference. Continued

Column: Dear Dr. Sylvia

What can you do when your child feels that being gifted makes her a freak? Find out what Dr. Sylvia Rimm has to say. View entire article...

Column: Bob Seney on Books – Percy Jackson and the Olympians

In a period of less than two weeks, I received four (4!) recommendations to read Rick Riordan‘s The Lightning Thief (2005, Miramax Books) – two from a mother and son who read it together. The son’s especially excited report was more than enough to send me to the web to place my order. View entire article...

Parents' Perspective: Surviving the College Application Process, by Allison La Rosa

This column offers a parent’s perspective. Columnists rotate, each giving their perspective on raising twice-exceptional children. In this issue Allison La Rosa describes her family's encounter with the dreaded college application process.  View entire article...

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