Seminar on nurturing twice-exceptional kids really hits home and gives insights!

by Erica
(Nashville, TN, USA)

The seminar is great and it's taught by a therapist whose son has special needs but is also gifted so she really understands the frustration, love, and pride involved! I found out her next seminar locations and dates and posted them below. I also posted a small bit of hte info included on the course brochure...
You can register through Cross Country Education: www.crosscountryeducation.com
1. Cleveland, 10-Nov-09, Hilton Garden Inn Cleveland East Mayfield Village, 700 Beta Dr, Cleveland, OH 44143--venue phone#(440) 646-1777

2. Canton, OH, 11-Nov-09, Holiday Inn Canton-North Canton 4520 Everhard Rd NW,Canton,OH 44718 venue phone#(330) 494-2770

3.Pittsburgh, 12-Nov-09 Crowne Plaza Pittsburgh Airport 1160 Thorn Run Rd, Pittsburghe, PA 15108 venue:(412) 262-2400

The term twice-exceptional or "2e" is used to describe a gifted person who also has special needs, such as ADHD, learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, sensory processing disorders, physical disabilities, or significant identifiable emotional disability. Approximately 8-11% of the US student population (K-12) are recognized as academically gifted, with an estimated 2-5% of those students fitting the criteria for twice-exceptionality. And, considering that giftedness may be undetected in a large number of 2e individuals, the true number of gifted students is likely even higher than these statistics indicate. Sadly, gifted individuals, whose contributions to the increasingly complex issues of our world could be highly valuable, often lack the understanding and support they need to fully realize their potential. In fact, many gifted individuals struggle with social, emotional and educational challenges which arise as a direct result of being gifted. The environments in which they have to function are also rife with myth and misunderstanding about what it means to be gifted, leading to inappropriate expectations. Gifted children, their families and gifted adults have special needs and concerns which routinely go unrecognized or misdiagnosed, often with disastrous results.

This one-day seminar will offer information based on best practices and the most current research findings in the field -- allowing attendees to develop their familiarity with each theories’ application in clinical, parenting and educational settings. Additionally, the seminar will provide participants with a thorough grounding in Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration. Kazimierz Dabrowski was a Polish psychologist and physician who studied the development of gifted individuals and whose comprehensive studies and discussions are only now becoming available in English Using case studies and vignettes, participants will gain an understanding of common issues facing today’s gifted population. Particular attention will be paid to supporting the social and emotional functioning of the gifted and twice-exceptional, including diagnosis, testing, and multi-disciplinary collaboration for the purpose of creating a robust support system that will allow the gifted to flourish.