Congratulations to four of our authors for each winning a Mom’s Choice Award! Each author was awarded gold in the Parenting – Special & Exceptional Needs category.

The winners are Nancy N. Heilbronner for “10 Things Not to Say to Your Gifted Child: One Family’s Perspective,” Dr. Carol Strip Whitney and Gretchen Hirsch for “Helping Gifted Children Soar: A Practical Guide for Parents and Teachers, 2nd edition,” and Dr. Janine Caffrey for “Nurturing Brilliance: Discovering and Developing Your Child’s Gifts.”

All of us at Great Potential Press are very happy for our authors! Earning awards like this for our gifted parenting books confirms our belief that we are producing quality books that help many people.

In a message dated 2/7/2012 11:57:22 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, joan@joanfreeman.com writes:

I’m running a thriving private practice for young gifted children.
From far away across the Atlantic ocean in the UK, I can confirm (if
subjectively) that I am seeing more and more children diagnosed as
having some form of Aspergers/ADHD.

These diagnoses are for the reasons that Jim Webb outlines. But over
here it is not the pediatricians who make those pronouncements, rather
it is the teachers.  Nursery teachers in particular.  I can only guess
that it lets them off the hook if they feel they cannot cope.  It is
almost fashionable.  But it really upsets parents.  It seems to me
that virtually all such diagnoses are wrong and I spend time
reassuring parents to their great relief.

Prof. Joan Freeman
London

———————————————————————————————————————

From: GiftedBook@aol.com
To: joan@joanfreeman.com
Sent: 2/7/2012 3:11:31 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time
Subj: Re:  ADHD? Gifted? or Both?

Dear Joan:

Thank you for writing this. It means a great deal to me to receive supportive observations from such an esteemed colleague. We have suspected, though our data are limited, that the problems of misdiagnosis are truly worldwide, though the actual diagnoses being given may vary from region to region. I do hope that you will help continue this discussion in Europe and elsewhere.

Warmest regards,

Jim

=================================================================
James T. Webb, Ph.D., President
Great Potential Press
1325 N. Wilmot, #300
Tucson, AZ 85712
www.greatpotentialpress.com
520-777-6161

Guiding Gifted Learners with Award-Winning Books

In celebration of Black History Month, we are offering a 40% discount on copies of Dr. Joy Davis‘ award-winning book, Bright, Talented and Black: A Guide for Families of African American Gifted Learners. To receive this 40% discounted price, you need to order the book directly from Great Potential Press by calling GPP directly (toll-free at 888-946-2314) or by sending an email to info@greatpotentialpress.com. This offer does not apply to copies ordered via the Great Potential Press website.

Also be sure to check out Dr. Davis’ new website: http://www.brighttalentedblack.com/

Dr. Janine Caffrey, author of our new book Nurturing Brilliance: Discovering and Developing Your Child’s Gifts and Superintendent of schools in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, has been making great waves to improve the field of gifted education. Dr. Caffrey has been raising interesting questions about teachers’ competence and holding them to high standards. You can see more of what she is saying at the link below.

http://blog.nj.com/njv_guest_blog/2011/11/perth_amboy_superintendent_ten.html

In October 2008, Dr. Del Siegle, who was then President of NAGC, appointed a work group to update, define, and refine the generic terminology of gifted education and giftedness—no small undertaking. Over the following 18 months, this work group of 15 experienced persons, from various parts of the country, considered aspects from brain research to political implications, and developed a new definition of giftedness that was approved as a formal Position Paper by the NAGC Board of Directors in March 2010. This new definition was described at the last NAGC Convention in New Orleans, and it has resulted in a fair amount of publicity, but also some misunderstandings, particularly about social and emotional factors.

The new definition explicitly highlights many aspects that are widely accepted within the field, now NAGC has officially recognized them in written form. For example, the new definition recognizes that there is a span of abilities in various domains (i.e., all gifted are not the same), and recognizes that the development of giftedness is lifelong, continuing into adulthood. The importance of motivation is emphasized as a primary characteristic in gifted adolescents and adults, and the definition states that barriers can inhibit development of ability (something we have all known for many years!).  Finally, the definition notes that there are implications for educators and policy makers.

The entire (and somewhat lengthy) definition can be found at http://www.nagc.org/index2.aspx?id=6404. Though this new definition is not the last word, it is certainly a major improvement over what existed before.

A particular misunderstanding in discussions across the Internet is that the new definition focuses solely on academic and intellectual aspects within various domains, and that it does not recognize the importance of social and emotional issues for gifted children and adults. That is not true. The new definition clearly recognizes that poverty, depression, family issues, can hinder the development of ability, and it also highlights the central role of motivation – what Ellen Winner called the “Rage to Master” and which is implied in the 10 years or 10,000 hours needed to develop expertise in a field, as described by Anders Ericcson.  All of us recognize that social and emotional factors often influence motivation. Family complications, such as enmeshment or power struggles and rebellion, often diminish academic motivation. Peer pressure can easily steer a child’s interest in directions that are not helpful for developing intellect or achievement, as can fear and depression from bullying or from other sources. Some families, too, simply do not have a tradition that values educational achievement. Certainly, as positive psychology has noted, some people seem to have the resiliency to overcome many hardships and deprivations, but resiliency, too, must be recognized as a social and emotional factor.

Some leaders in the field, of course, have written in ways that focus on talent development and educational programs, with little emphasis (at least in their writings) on social and emotional issues. However, virtually all of these persons recognize and support the importance of the social and emotional aspects that are included in the new definition. Even though an article or blogpost, which may have been written even by someone who was a member of the NAGC new definition committee, may focus on talent development in one or more domains, remember (a) that much has likely been omitted due to space limitations, and (b) that even if they served on the committee, they are speaking for themselves, and that they are not representing the official stance of NAGC.

I encourage you to look at the new definition. If the field will embrace it, I think that we will actually have more sensitivity toward social and emotional factors that are so influential in whether or how a person develops talent.

More information on the author of this blog, Dr. Webb, can be found by clicking here.

The parents who attended this past Saturday’s  conference were hungry for helpful information.  The Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented hosted “Parent’s Day: Tucson edition,” where all four authors of  A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children presented at the conference.

The 75 or so parents who attended were treated to a wealth of knowledge to answer their questions. Parenting experts Dr. James Webb, Dr. Ed Amend, Mrs. Arlene DeVries, and Ms. Janet Gore provided practical suggestions for gifted education, and issues for gifted children within the in family. It is rare to have all four authors of A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children on the same program, and we hope that there will be other occasions soon.

From left: Dr. James Webb, Dr. Ed Amend, Mrs. Arlene DeVries, and Ms. Janet Gore

Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) recently published an informative video titled “The Misdiagnosis of Gifted” to its YouTube channel. In the last 10 days, more than 3,500 people have viewed this informative video.

Although there are not yet data on the extent of misdiagnosis of gifted children, the information we do have suggests that it is extensive. Lack of understanding of characteristics of gifted children, combined with inadequate training of educators and physicians about ADHD and gifted children, can easily lead to an inaccurate diagnosis of ADHD where a child is then placed on medication that may not be needed.

The video was previously only available by purchase from SENG, but the decision was made to make it more accessible in an effort to reach more people. Please help continue to spread the awareness by letting others know about this complimentary, educational, and necessary information.

Parents, educators, and health care professionals can also find practical help from the book Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults.  Fifty percent of the royalties from the sale of this book go directly to support SENG’s mission.

SENG’s mission is to “empower families and communities to guide gifted and talented individuals to reach their goals: intellectually, physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.”

An international campaign is underway to educate pediatricians about the potential for misdiagnosis of gifted children. In a recently-released public message, the campaign is described in further detail:

“Intellectually gifted children whose needs are neglected or misunderstood may exhibit traits and behaviors that resemble those of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and be wrongly diagnosed, possibly resulting in unnecessary medication and unintended harm, according to the international nonprofit organization Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG).  SENG is developing a public awareness effort to alert the pediatric healthcare community to the potential for misdiagnosis. Giftedness education is currently not a standard teaching component in medical schools and is addressed infrequently in the pediatric medical literature.”

Read the full press release here.

Dr. Joy Davis, author of Bright, Talented, & Black has started an interactive, networking website for parents, families,  educators, and advocates. Follow the link below to get involved today!

http://www.brighttalentedblack.com/

A free one-day conference about parenting gifted children in Tucson Arizona will take place on January 28th.

Parents of gifted and talented children in Tucson, Phoenix, and beyond can start the New Year with a wealth of expert information about raising their bright kids. The Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented’s “Parent Day: Tucson Edition” will feature three nationally-recognized authors of the multi-award-winning book, A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children (Great Potential Press, 2007). 

Join gifted parenting experts Dr. Edward Amend, Dr. James Webb, and Mrs. Arlene DeVries during this morning of networking and information-sharing about many important topics. The sessions presented will provide essential information about parenting and educating bright children who are so often intense, sensitive, and strong-willed, and who may have difficulty relating to peers. Great Potential Press, a Tucson, Arizona publisher, will have relevant books available at this conference as well.

Dr. Amend will be the keynote speaker, with presentation topics to follow that include “Living in the Gifted Family” by Mrs. DeVries and “Key Issues for Parents of Gifted Children” by Dr. Webb. This complimentary conference will last from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at University High School. Advance registration is encouraged.

Conference Details

• Date: Saturday, January 28th, 2012
• Location: University High School (421 N Arcadia Blvd., Tucson, AZ)
• Time: 8:00am-1:00pm
• Cost: FREE
• To Register: Simply RSVP on the Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented event page 
• For more information: Contact Tiffany Oneill at tiffany.oneill@asu.edu or Laura Wattenbarger at lwatt@greatpotentialpress.com.