I attended a workshop today arranged by the Houston Co-op given by Dr. Amend. He talked about the social/emotional issues, and sometimes the disabilities and disorders, that gifted individuals often deal with. His quote, “Giftedness is not who you are but a part of who you are” was the key phrase that I walked away with. He explained that individuals actually pass through several stages as they learn they are ‘different’, deny or accept their giftedness and/or identify themselves with giftedness. Some individuals move through these stages, some get stuck. Ask any gifted adult you know, drill down the discussion and you’re sure to find interesting self concepts regarding their giftedness.
Later in the day, I checked my Google Reader and found a blog new to me. The short video from the blog called “High Ability” The Inner Ability of Advanced Development was the perfect follow up to the workshop.
I highly encourage parents to view one of these movies shown in the video or others noted on the movie list at Hoagies on a rainy day. Allow your child to soak in what they’ve seen. Initiate a conversation about the gifted characters and their struggles. Don’t worry if the discussion is sparse. Your child is still working through the stages noted by Dr. Amend. You might get lucky and get to hear their experiences later as gifted adults as I have with both my son and daughter.
